Sunday, February 9, 1997
Texas facing issue of military absentee votes
By STEVE RAY / Harte-Hanks Austin Bureau
Texans are facing a major military conflict - but it's not
a threat to close Air Force or Navy bases or an attempt to move
high-tech training from Texas to some other state.
The problem is voting.
And the outcome of Val Verde County lawsuits over military
absentee votes could extend well beyond the borders of the West
Texas county that is home to Laughlin Air Force Base.
It could affect the voting rights of military personnel across
the state and nation.
No one believes military personnel should lose their right
to vote because they are serving our country.
But the argument in Texas isn't over votes cast in federal
or Congressional elections.
The fuss comes from the fact that 800 folks - many who hadn't
lived in the small West Texas county for 10-20 years - voted in
county elections.
Those votes changed the outcome of the election - and the wishes
of county residents, both military and civilian, who live and
work there.
It gave control of the sheriff's office and the commissioner's
court to Republicans for the first time in history.
And it is raising huge questions over residency requirements
- for voters ranging from military personnel to college students.
Some have tried to turn the event into a partisan slugfest,
with Republican lawmakers - like U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm and State
Rep. Jerry Madden - accusing Democrats of trying to deny military
personnel their voting rights.
But forget the political parties involved and the political
posturing of those who would take advantage of the situation.
The issue is residency. And both Republicans and Democrats,
military and civilians should be concerned that the issue is resolved
fairly.
Here are the facts:
- None of the 800 military absentee voters actually lives in
Val Verde County.
- Only 159 of them had APO or FPO addresses indicating they
were serving overseas. The question then becomes: Why were they
voting in Val Verde County when they obviously lived somewhere
else in the United States.
- Absentee votes overwhelmingly favored Republicans, changing
the results and the desires of those who permanently live in Val
Verde County.
- And more than 100 of the absentee voters own property in
and are registered to vote in other states or other Texas counties.
- Many of them had not been stationed at Laughlin Air Force
Base or lived Val Verde County in 10 years, and more than a dozen
had not lived in the county for more than 20 years.
Despite attempts to make the lawsuits look like military bashing,
it's unlikely that Val Verde County - where Laughlin is the biggest
employer and business - wants to trash military personnel.
Many of them have made the county their permanent residence
after retiring, and there is a strong military tradition there.
A bigger question about absentee voting and residency requirement
- for military and civilians - needs to be addressed.
The Secretary of State's Office, which is in charge of Texas
elections, says voting a full or partial ballot is not in question.
There is only the residency question.
Unfortunately, Republican Secretary of State Tony Garza, who
should only be interested in making sure the law is followed,
turned a response on the military voting issue into an attack
on the lawsuit and accusations that those who filed it were trying
to force a court-imposed "burden of proof" targeted
only at military voters.
Never mind that those who cast absentee ballots probably knew
little or nothing about the local candidates. Ignorance of who
candidates are or where they stand on issues has never disqualified
anyone from voting. If it did, the number of votes would probably
be cut in half.
But allowing anyone - whether military or civilian - to vote
in local elections without proving residency dilutes the voting
strength of military and civilian residents who have to live with
the results of local, county and state elections.
The simple fact is that it isn't right for anyone who hasn't
lived somewhere in 10-20 years to vote in local elections.
Whether that's dictated by personal conscience or law may be
up to the courts.
The decision could affect elections in military areas nationwide.
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Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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