COLUMBUS—State Senator Jon Husted (R-Kettering) introduced an important resolution this week that calls on leaders in Washington to reduce barriers in elections law that negatively impact the ability of our nation’s military personnel and other Americans located overseas to register to vote and cast a ballot.

   “Current voting procedures, both at the state and federal level, fail to recognize the unique logistical and geographical challenges that the dedicated men and women in our armed forces and other Americans living overseas face in order to exercise their right to vote,” said Husted.

   For example, Sen. Husted explained that delays associated with delivering an absentee ballot to a war zone or other U.S. military locations across the world can prevent these voters from having enough time to return their ballot to be counted.

   Senate Concurrent Resolution 21, which has 11 Senate co-sponsors, urges Congress to take needed steps to help military and overseas voters more easily exercise their right to vote and have their ballots counted, by supporting policies that expand the amount of time ballots are available to these groups, provide for electronic transmission of blank ballots and ensure that voting resources are available at all overseas military installations.

   Congress is currently considering the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act, which would help address these and other issues and ensure that those serving our country overseas have a voice in the electoral process.

   “It is critical that our nation’s servicemen and women, who risk their lives defending our freedoms across the globe, have every opportunity to have a voice in electing their leaders and deciding important federal, state and local issues,” said Husted. “I urge Congress to act expeditiously to streamline the voting process for our military personnel, as well as other Americans overseas, and ensure that their ballots are counted.”