Hawaii is almost as bad as Wisconsin when it comes to what is going to happen to military voters.  Hawaii is not in compliance with the MOVE Act and DOJ should act now.

Bob Carey and his shop at the Department of Defense (FVAP) did a great job and found that Hawaii, home to Pearl Harbor and six other major military installations totaling over 45,000 men and women, didn’t deserve a waiver from the MOVE Act.   Hawaii provided only 35 total days to send ballots to military voters, a full 10 days below the required 45 days under the MOVE Act.  Hawaii overseas voters must generally return the ballots by postal mail unless the voter asserts that they have not received their ballot within 5 days of the election and request a replacement ballot to be sent by fax or email to allow the ballot to be returned by fax.  Again, the Department of Defense recognized the truth that the use of fax is about as up to date as sending messages to the troops by 8 track cassette or vinyl record. People suggesting technological solutions to this problem sometimes have a financial interest in the solutions.  If you happen to be in the Navy at the tip of the spear deployed on a U.S. carrier in the Pacific or Indian Oceans or the Persian Gulf from your home base in Hawaii, you never sacrificed your right to vote.  This year you might have to add it to the long list of sacrifices unless the Justice Department immediately brings a lawsuit to remedy the problem.

The DOD analysis, in reviewing this waiver request, was quite succinct and to the point:  Denied. 

Military voters from Hawaii need a little more action and a little less behind closed doors talk.