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Biden administration moves to protect Alaska wilderness; opening statements and first witness in NY trial; SCOTUS hears Starbucks case, with implications for unions on the line; rural North Carolina town gets pathway to home ownership.

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The Supreme Court weighs cities ability to manage a growing homelessness crisis, anti-Israeli protests spread to college campuses nationwide, and more states consider legislation to ban firearms at voting sites and ballot drop boxes.

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Wyoming needs more educators who can teach kids trade skills, a proposal to open 40-thousand acres of an Ohio forest to fracking has environmental advocates alarmed and rural communities lure bicyclists with state-of-the-art bike trail systems.

Overseas Voters From Michigan Need More Time to Vote

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Wednesday, January 7, 2009   

Lansing, MI - Michigan is among 16 states failing to provide enough time for overseas military personnel to receive, fill out and cast election ballots in time for them to count. A new study by the Pew Center for the States shows Michigan sends absentee ballots after the date necessary for military voters to meet all required deadlines to get them back in time.

The study suggests a process whereby blank ballots are sent by fax or e-mail, leaving more time for return by mail - a process the Michigan Secretary of State supports, according to spokeswoman Kelly Chesney.

"It would reduce the transmission time in half and help expedite the process of returning ballots, so that we could make sure all of our overseas voters are accommodated."

New technology has helped shorten the printing time for ballots to send them out faster, according to Chesney.

David Becker, Pew's Make Voting Work project director, says the system is failing Americans overseas who want to participate in the voting process.

"Frankly, we're failing in our responsibility to ensure access to our service members and voters living, working and serving overseas. Right now, while these voters are serving America, America's voting system is not serving them.""

The delays are denying Americans a chance to make a difference at the ballot box, says Becker.

"When our service men and women don't have enough time to vote, their votes often don't count. And who can deny that they have as much right as any citizen to express their voices in our democracy."

Pew researchers suggest sending out blank ballots to voters earlier in the process and extending the deadline for completed ballots. In 2006, only one-third of the one million ballots distributed to military and overseas voters were cast or counted.



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