The Department of Defense Inspector General has found that the Federal Voting Assistance Program has dropped the ball when it comes to compliance with federal law requiring voting assistance offices on military installations.  FVAP and DOD have established fewer than 50 percent of the offices required by federal law.  Because of these failures, servicemembers were unable to receive help registering to vote and with casting ballots in the 2012 election.

Maybe too many FVAP employees attended too many Washington Nationals games in 2012.

Yesterday afternoon was opening day in Washington and FVAP was represented at Nationals Park.  Paddy McGuire, Deputy Director at FVAP took in a Nationals game from the first base line, (Section 130 Row F, as in Fun, to be precise). 

Now we are assuming that Mr. McGuire filled out all the appropriate leave slips.  We aren’t suggesting he was bilking the taxpayers.  Thats between him and Matt Boehmer.  And who’s to blame him for wanting to kick back on a work day afternoon and take in a ball game?  But given the sorry state of military voting, maybe it’s time to skip Nationals’ games and get those Voting Assistance Offices open.  Chairman Candice Miller can ask at the next oversight hearing whether opening day is a priority, or if military voting is.  McGuire once told a fellow FVAP staffer (according to FVAP sources with direct knowledge) – “I’m just collecting a paycheck, avoiding work, trying to do as little as possible.”  Nice work, if you can get it.