I am a little bit pissed. Last week, I heard that a World War II veteran (who also served in the Korean War) might have his vote disqualified. This hero was a person of Japanese descent in Hawaii when the sucker punch Pearl Harbor attack happened. To prove he was not the enemy, he enlisted and fought the Japanese, while many were interned in quasi POW camps.
The reason his vote is to be disqualified, is because he died. He voted under 'early voting'/'absentee balloting' provisions. Being dead qualifies as absentee to me. He made an informed decision from his hospital bed and I will fight for his vote to be counted. It is not like he voted from the graveyard.
What can I do to make his vote count ?

while I agree with the sentiment - it is not yet election day.

I saw that. The law is such that it won't be counted, and the law should be followed.

However, I heard absentee deaths are rarely taken out because finding the specific vote is so cumbersome.

http://news.yahoo.com/photo...tures-082154483.html

Glenn Takahashi, Honolulu election administrator, said absentee ballots cast by voters who later die become invalid if the state Department of Health notifies elections officials of the death before Election Day. To void a ballot when that happens, officials have to be able to sort through tens of thousands of ballots to find the one in question. This is not always practical, and so the ballot is counted if it isn't.

A similar situation arose in Honolulu four years ago when President Barack Obama's grandmother died two nights before the election but after she mailed her absentee ballot. Hawaii counted her vote anyway because the Health Department didn't receive her certificate of death before the election.

Barbara Tanabe said her father, a quiet, unassuming man, would wonder what the fuss over the photo was about. But he'd be thrilled it encouraged others to vote, she said.

"That would be the ultimate honour for him," she said.

[This message has been edited by Gokart Mozart (edited 10-29-2012).]

quote Originally posted by Pyrthian: while I agree with the sentiment - it is not yet election day.

There is the rub that rubs me raw. This man risked his life for our country. This man risked his life for the right to vote. His vote should forever count.
Heh, , you can die and they can still tax you (estate tax).

If he has to pay a tax burned for the election year, he should be allowed to cast his absentee vote.

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When you can't run anymore, you crawl...and when you can't do that, you find someone to carry you.

He can vote legally and have his vote cancelled yet if voter fraud is caught after the election, it counts no matter what! Just exactly how many ways are we screwed up?

Jonathan

quote Originally posted by ls3mach: If he has to pay a tax burned for the election year, he should be allowed to cast his absentee vote.

A tax is obligatory. This man volunteered for the ultimate sacrifice for our country. For us.
You are right though. I think only the ones who pay taxes should be able to vote.

quote Originally posted by cliffw: A tax is obligatory. This man volunteered for the ultimate sacrifice for our country. For us. You are right though. I think only the ones who pay taxes should be able to vote.

damn - letting illegals vote? yikes! and foreigners?! I think you mean a little more specifically - income tax?
oops - illegals are foreigners....but - anyways - sales tax.....

quote Originally posted by cliffw: A tax is obligatory. This man volunteered for the ultimate sacrifice for our country. For us. You are right though. I think only the ones who pay taxes should be able to vote.

I didn't actually mean paid a net gain of taxes.

I am also under the impression that the constitution doesn't afford citizens the right to vote. His previous contributions to the country, while great, have nothing to do with him being able to vote. He was alive to cast his absentee vote. He should be allowed to be counted assuming the government isn't going to return all of his tax contributions for the year.

My opinion,

If I don't vote early/absentee and I have an accident on the way to the polls, my vote may not take place because I was stuck in the hospital. If I had voted early, My vote would still count since the LAW allowed me to vote prior to election night. This patriot's vote should not be nullified because of his death. He did in fact vote as the law allowed him to. So disqualifying his vote would be the same as disqualifying votes the day after the election because some voters died after voting.

If you are qualified to vote and have done so according to the current laws, your vote should be counted.
if he was qualified to vote and did so according to the current laws, his vote should be counted.

From this point it will be left to his kids whom he raised, and others we may have influenced, to carry on his vote.

Since is vote was cast (mailed in) it is just one ballot amonst the many already mailed in. How can they determine which ballot is his, in order to remove it?

quote Originally posted by jmclemore: If I don't vote early/absentee and I have an accident on the way to the polls, my vote may not take place because I was stuck in the hospital. If I had voted early, My vote would still count since the LAW allowed me to vote prior to election night.

This is exactly why I early voted. As long as they are letting you do it early, why on Earth would you want to wait til the last minute to do something so important. Lines too long on the 6th? Don't cry to me!

Jonathan

quote Originally posted by Old Lar: Since is vote was cast (mailed in) it is just one ballot amonst the many already mailed in. How can they determine which ballot is his, in order to remove it?

By his name and address on the return address on the envelope he sent it in with.