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This year, Armed Forces Voters Week runs August 31st to September 7th. The Department of Veteran Affairs is doing everything in its power to keep convalescing vets from registering to vote, and has denied permission to the 19 states that requested the opportunity to host voter registration drives at VA hospitals in their states.The official word from the Department of Veteran Affairs:
This policy is the result of careful deliberation and consideration for the needs and rights of our patients, concerns about disrupting facility operations, and the need to ensure VA is not involved in partisan political activities. . .
That decision might seem fair, if not for that fact that registration drives are regularly held at hospitals around the country. Promedica Health in Ohio offers encourages voter registration on its website, as does the New Jersey Hospital Assocation.
The Texas Hospital Association encourages registration drives to reach out to employees, which means patients are exposed to the get-out-and-vote message. On their site, the THA offers a Time Line for Voter Registration. Among their recommendations:
If appropriate, send a news release about the voter registration drive to local media outlets. . . .
Display tent cards promoting the voter registration drive in the cafeteria and on patient trays. (see sample)
E-mail reminder to staff, if possible. . .
Place get-out-the-vote posters throughout the hospital (in elevators, lobby areas, cafeteria, employee break rooms, etc.)
Seems as though these outreach methods, could reach non-staff members, what with posters hung about the building, easily forwarded e-mails sent to staffers, tent cards delivered to each patient’s room with meals. . . not to mention registration events taking place in the lobby of the hospital.
Voter registration is a non-partisan undertaking. These health facilities recognize their ability to remind their employees and the public to register and take advantage of their right to vote.
Why is it somehow different at VA hospitals? Perhaps our Republican administration is merely watching McCain’s back?
Last week, the Center for Responsive Politics released a study of military donors to political campaigns this year.
Democrat Barack Obama has received nearly six times as much money from troops deployed overseas at the time of their contributions than has Republican John McCain, and the fiercely anti-war Ron Paul, though he suspended his campaign for the Republican nomination months ago, has received more than four times McCain’s haul.
Troops in the field sent Obama $60,642, while McCain received $10,665 and Paul took in $45,512. When looking at military personnel overall, Obama is still ahead with $335,536 in donations, while $280,513 went to McCain.
The Center for Responsive Politics reminds us that:
In 2000, Republican George W. Bush outraised Democrat Al Gore among military personnel almost 2 to 1. In 2004, with the Iraq war underway, John Kerry closed the gap with President Bush, but Bush still raised $1.50 from the military for every $1 his Democratic opponent collected.
Seems like encouraging wounded vets to register to vote isn’t going to favor the GOP.
But I’m a cynic, it’s not like the Bush administration has used its office to act in favor of conservatives before, right?
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Comments
08.18.08
Wow, this is pretty incredible. I don't know at what point in American history that voter registration became a partisan activity, especially concerning veterans. Has there been any response among veteran rights groups? I would think that Obama would be called out the VA on this because he served on the VA committee in the Senate.
08.18.08
Shocking and appalling. Now we are actively disenfranchising veterans for the very rights they fought to protect. Absolutely shameful.
@Vanessa -- I wholeheartedly agree with you. What could be more less partisan than encouraging all citizens and service men and women to participate in the democratic process?
Thank you for posting this. It makes me furious, but these are the kinds of things we need to know. If they fought to protect our rights, we should fight for veteran's rights and veteran's care.
08.18.08
You might know more about this than I, but isn't the VA hospital a publicly funded entity whereas the other hospitals/organizations are private or non-profit and they are allowed to make up their own rules?
I thought this was more a matter of private vs. public entity rights moreso than restricting veterans specifically? Isn't it similar to how public schools have restrictions on prayers or reading book lists, but private schools can pretty much do what they want?
08.18.08
Vanessa,
A Connecticut VA hospital is defying the ban and inviting election officials to register voters on site.
http://www.cpbn.org/connecticut-va-allows-voter-registration-grounds
California is suing over the ban an a Menlo Park site, and the outcome is expected to ripple
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/10689
Milena,
At least in Houston, it appears public hospital waiting rooms are a viable option for voter drives
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5949705.html
Libraries tend to be publicly funded, and they offer voter registration as well.
http://www.ebpl.org/main/polCalendarEvent.cfm?Event_Id=13659
I'm not sure what the separation of church and state has to do with voter registration?
I'm not sure why you're bringing the separation of church and state into the equation?
08.18.08
Vanessa,
some veterans have noted that several decades ago, voter registration forms (with absentee ballot requests) were part of the standard paperwork filled out before being shipped out.
And via Vote Trust USA (http://votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2905&I...)
"Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, criticized the latest VA policy.
"VA just threw up their hands and surrendered the voting rights for possibly hundreds of thousands of our veterans," he said. "VA’s weak and indefensible position is all the more striking, shocking, and shameful due the fact some of our veterans now in VA facilities are recovering from battle wounds from Iraq and Afghanistan.""
08.19.08
Has anyone considered the fact that this administration is just simply evil?
08.19.08
Voter registration is virtually never a non-partisan undertaking.
@Tim: Have you considered anything different?
Why is it somehow different at VA hospitals? See Milena's answer above. Why did this elude consideration?
Perhaps our Republican administration is merely watching McCain’s back? Doubtful. My guess is that the number of conservative/republican military voters vastly outweighs liberal/democratic.
It seems to me that Andrea's attempt to equate a disparity among campaign "donations" between the candidates (and rather minute at that) with actual voting patterns represents fallacious factual analogy.
Does anyone here know whether a voter drive at VA hospitals would, in fact, be more helpful for McCAin? The "this administration is just simply evil" refrain just doesn't get it there.
08.19.08
@Rob Even if you assume that the decision is not politically motivated, which I doubt, it still does not explain the reason that they gave for denying access. If a state hospital association is conducting voter registration, they are not a partisan political organization. Where is the conflict?
08.19.08
Who said the state-run hospital is not conflicted? Voter registration drives are inherently partisan -- which is why partisan organizations sponser them. Indeed, the fact that you feel so strongly about the motivations makes the point.
Absent the presupposed sinister motives supposedly underlying the declaration, why is "the need to ensure VA is not involved in partisan political activities" (particularly in contested federal election) illegitimate?
08.19.08
Rob, I have a response to Milena's comments stuck in moderation -- I included multiple links to support my comments to her, which leads posts to get stuck in moderation. I wasn't ignoring her questions.
voting is right guaranteed to all americans -- the right to vote and to register to vote is non-partisan. that the process is corrupted doesn't make voting less powerful, it makes it more important. all sorts of questionable conduct has been recorded at voter registration drives, which is why state election officials from all teams should be present at VA hospital registrations. Much like both sides are supposed to be at polling sites on election days.
Tim,
I've begun to believe that our education system might just be working swell for its purposes. We live in a nation of sheep, who don't dare question authority or the status quo because it's been deemed unacceptable and unpatriotic. Constantly challenging authority and questioning the motives of the people in power is what keeps the power "elite" on their toes and less able to snooker the people. Our nation was founded by people who dissented --- and to honor their efforts we should question everything from all angles.
08.19.08
@Rob- "Voter registration drives are inherently partisan..."
You can say that partisan groups often sponsor voter registration drives, but that by no means proves that the process is inherently partisan. Registration drives don't guarantee votes to anyone. Feeling strongly about registration drives has nothing to do with party affiliation.
I did consider once that the Bush administration was not run by sociopaths. It didn't last very long.
08.19.08
@Zak: Accepting everything you say as true, it still does not address my point. No one is denying veterans the right to vote or not vote. If Andrea's right that "our Republican administration is merely watching McCain’s back," all I've said is "link it up." Perhaps she's right, but this post falls short of that.
@Tim: Then you would have answers to my questions?
I agree that registration drives don’t guarantee votes to anyone. However, Andrea suggests something to the contrary. Incidentally, the inconsitency in your statements that "you can say that partisan groups often sponsor voter registration drives" and "feeling strongly about registration drives has nothing to do with party affiliation" goes to my point -- as well Andrea's.
08.20.08
A previous response got held up in moderation because it contained more than one link, thus I will post one link at a time
Vanessa,
A Connecticut VA hospital is defying the ban and inviting election officials to register voters on site.
http://www.cpbn.org/connecticut-va-allows-voter-registration-grounds
08.20.08
again to Vanessa,
California is suing over the ban an a Menlo Park site, and the outcome is expected to ripple
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/10689
08.20.08
Milena,
At least in Houston, it appears public hospital waiting rooms are a viable option for voter drives
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5949705.html
08.20.08
again to Milena,
Libraries tend to be publicly funded, and they offer voter registration as well.
http://www.ebpl.org/main/polCalendarEvent.cfm?Event_Id=13659
I’m not sure what the separation of church and state has to do with voter registration?
08.20.08
@zak - anyways, I didn't say anything about church and state. I said public and private.
Interesting links. I'm confounded.
08.20.08
don't forget the distinction between state versus federal.
08.20.08
@Rob What do you mean between state and federal? VA hospitals are federal hospitals and the right to vote is from the national constitution. Andrea suggested that registered votes could have a partisan slant, not the process of registration. If the VA were actually just worried about partisan political activity associated with voter registration, they could have banned private groups and allowed state election officials to lead voter registration drives. The fact that they banned all drives looks suspicious with reason.
08.20.08
It was state officials that wanted access to run registration drives in those 19 states.
08.20.08
Vanessa, I don't understand your comment. Again, I'm not referring to the "right to vote." I'm referring to Milenia's comments concerning a possible reason for the distinction between the VA's stance on registration drives and the cited state-run hospitals/elections (i.e. policy and regulated activities).
Unless I've missed something, I don't see where "Andrea suggested that registered votes could have a partisan slant, not the process of registration."
Since you feel a reason to be suspicious, do you know whether a voter drive at VA hospitals would, in fact, be more helpful for McCAin? I suspect that it would, but perhaps I am wrong.
08.20.08
@All - uh - maybe I should clarify what I meant. Public facilities like schools and hospitals are generally supposed to refrain from partisan, religious, and other behavior that could be deemed scandalous or serving anything other than needs that apply to all citizens. If voter registration is allowed, perhaps it would be considered partisan, and as Rob pointed out, vets might be inclined to vote McCain anyways.
Furthermore, no one is restricting their right to VOTE, but to register at one location that the author has taken issue with. I mean, I want to register to vote at the places I spend most of my time, heck door-to-door registration would be much more convenient, but I had to lug my *ss down to the social security office like most everyone else. I know, I know, I'm young, able-bodied, but let's tackle that problem too: in fact, let's turn this into a solutions-oriented project. Let's give a big F-U to whomever doesn't wants veterans to register at a VA hospital. Set up a table at a hospital near you (I'm assuming there is a 100 foot rule or something) and figure out a way to do it! Wouldn't that be a great idea?
Who's game?
08.20.08
@Rob I didn't understand why you brought up the distinction of state vs. federal. That has nothing to do with the decision. I meant to say that registered voters are partisan rather than the registration process.
I am not suspicious of which presidential candidate may gain more votes. I honestly don't care who they vote for; veterans should not have to go through the obstacle of finding a place to register to vote when this was not an objectionable activity in the past.
I am suspicious of why the federal government will not allow state election officials to permit soldiers and veterans, which are technically federal government property, exercise their federal right to vote in a federal medical facility. I don't understand where the partisan activity fits in there.
@Milena It would be great to organize veteran voter registration drives. Of course you realize that now it is a partisan political activity because we would be a private group doing it. :)
08.21.08
Vanessa, I'm sorry but state versus federal does have something to do with the decision. I regret that you're having trouble with that. Bureaucratic oversight of state versus federal programs do not operate under unified rules. Geez. Federal guidelines can be quite different than states -- and it's not just a matter of funding. I'm sorry, but this is just not worthy of debate.
As for your assertion that "registered voters are partisan rather than the registration process," again all you need do is look to the links supplied. See the one from ACORN (CT):
"In contrast, the current voter registration drive must, by law, go without mention of political parties and contenders. ACORN workers target poorer neighborhoods and talk up issues such as rights for tenants and immigrants, mining neighborhoods more likely to support Democrats than Republicans."
Again, this is not whether someone has a RIGHT TO VOTE!!!!! The fact that you are "suspicious of why the federal government will not allow state election officials to permit soldiers and veterans. . . [to] exercise their federal right to vote in a federal medical facility" completely misses it.
Whether you care about who it might benefit is irrelevant. It is whether others do and use the drive as an opportunity to further their own partisan agendas.
08.21.08
@Vanessa - no way! It can be bi-partisan. Am I just naive??
08.21.08
So uh, anyways. I'm going to try to help register vets to vote. Is no one interested or do you all want to fight some more?? : P
08.21.08
I guess it depends on who they're going to vote for. . .
08.22.08
Rob,
I never proclaimed a concrete link. I'm merely pointing out that this administration has a history of watching other Republican's backs and surveys are showing military support does favor Obama.
Given this administration it'll be years before all the truths are uncovered, presuming they haven't deleted all the e-mails and shredded the documents.
(don't know if you're following the several hundred days worth of missing emails that might never be recovered -- seems like a paper trial should be mandatory if it's so easy to lose eletronic copies.)
For someone who doesn't think this issue is worthy of debate, you keep coming back. . .
Milena
I've only been the on the site of my local VA hospital once -- it was a number of years ago. And I don't think it was hospitable to people setting up tables in the vacinity, as I recall. I imagine you still need permission to be hanging out in the area.
Peanut gallery:
Does anyone know of any groups that do non-partisan voter registration? Seems like there should be some national group dedicated to getting people registered regardless of political leanings? or do you have to be a state official to be considered non-partisan.
08.22.08
Zak, it was your theory. I simply question your analysis becuase I think it's flawed. But, if you simply want an echo chamber for your post, I will refrain from further comment and leave it for the like minded.
Incidentally, the issue not worthy of debate was your argument that state v. federal considerations are one and the same. That's just not true.
Anyway, you may very well be right.
08.22.08
@zak - the above links might help point you in the right direction. As for voter registration, I'm not really up on my public property rules, but I though that you could do something like that off the premises or something. Dunno.
Anyways - here's an application to register. A whopping 26 pages! Yeesh. You think they'd make it easier. I just love big government, making things super convenient. I'm guessing you could print out the applicable pages. Maybe go to nursing homes and such??
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