Voting Rights: For Felons But Not Soldiers?

I know the issues involved with trying to improve the ability of deployed soldiers and civilians to actually get an absentee ballot in sufficient time to vote it and return it are multi-jurisdictional, cost money, require civil servants at the local level to actually *change* how they do things (shudder) and require the people who want to run for office to decide a little earlier, and politicians who want to convince voters to vote for a sales tax to actually draft the verbiage earlier, etc. Oh, and the County Election officials have to actually get the ballot to the printer in time.

None.the.less. These are the guys and gals who are out doing dangerous stuff at the behest of the government and are engaged in a pretty serious demonstration of positive citizenship.

But, according to the Washington Times, it would appear that the Justice Department is ready, willing and able to assist the States in kicking that can down the road this election cycle, rather than reminding them that it’s the law of the land. Not helping, whether with carrots or sticks, the states comply with the law and ensure that deployed personnel will have a voice in the upcoming election cycle, but rather coaching them through the waiver process so they don’t *have* to comply with the law of the land. I mean, gosh, it’s not like deployed personnel have a life or death interest in the issue or not, right?

Senator Cornyn, who authored the law in question, is a touch miffed, and has put a hold on the nomination of John Cole for Deputy Attorney General until the Justice Department undergoes an attitude adjustment about, oh, actually enforcing the law. Yeah, yeah, I know.

But just who *will* Justice fall over itself to ensure they can get a chance to vote? If for no other reason perhaps than to ensure that the Senate can be a re-employment agency for retired Saturday Night Live comic hacks?

Felons! Right, felons. People who have demonstrated a strong committment to civil society and have a respect for the law.

Oh… wait. I get it now.

Mind you, the WashTimes editorial is a bit disingenous in referring to the resource page intended to help felons exercise their right to vote, but hey, at least the links work and, unlike the page regarding military voting, has current information. Hey, the WashTimes editorial *had* an impact – the DOJ finally did update the relevant page on their website.

Of course, given the way the DOJ has been operating as a agency of the people in power, vice… oh, the People, I guess we can give them an A+ for constituency service, looking at voting patterns of felons vice military personnel (though we military types are nowhere near as monolithic a block as you might think).

I so want it to be simple incompetence and bureaucratic inertia in a large organization. But sometimes you have to wonder.