Conn. official urges new way for military to vote

HARTFORD >> Secretary of the State Denise Merrill is recommending that state lawmakers consider a system that would allow out of-military personnel to download and print out a version of their city or town’s absentee ballot, then mail the completed ballot back to Connecticut.

In a report, Merrill stopped short of recommending the state allow those same voters to return their ballots electronically, such as by fax or email. She said too many security risks and privacy concerns remain and the ballots should still be mailed back to local election officials.

“We still have a lot of concerns about the security of the email system,” she said in an interview with The Associated Press, which obtained a copy of the report provided to members of the legislature’s elections and veterans committees.

Last year, the General Assembly passed legislation requiring Merrill’s office to select a method that military personnel stationed out of state could use to promptly return their completed absentee ballots.

Lawmakers had heard from members of the military who said they sent in their absentee ballots, only to learn the ballots weren’t counted because they didn’t arrive in time or were lost. According to the federal Elections Assistance Commission, Connecticut transmitted 408 ballots to military voters in 2010 and received 249, a response rate of 61 percent.

Merrill said it appears strides have been made since then. She points to the latest data from the Elections Assistance Commission, which reported that Connecticut transmitted 3,829 ballots and received 3,602 for the 2012 presidential election — a 94 percent response rate. The commission collects its data from the states.

Merrill wonders if Connecticut should follow the path of other states that allow some or all of their military and overseas voters to return their ballots electronically, such as email, fax or a website upload.

The legislature’s nonpartisan Office of Legislative Research has identified 28 states that have such systems, including neighboring Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Merrill’s office estimated that a Web-based, state-ofthe-art ballot delivery system, which would enable military personnel to log on and download the official absentee ballot the day it becomes available, would cost at least $250,000, and more if engineered to accept return ballots. The office’s report also said the electronic return of completed ballots would require legislative action, including a provision that waives the military voters’ right to a secret ballot, which is included in the state’s constitution.

Sen. Gayle Slossberg, DMilford and co-chairwoman of the Government Administration and Elections Committee, said the report from the secretary of the state’s office doesn’t appear to be a “clear response” to the law, which required Merrill, in consultation with the state’s Military Department, to select a method for returning the ballots.

Slossberg said her office conducted research following the November 2012 election and found that about 62 percent of the state’s military ballots were received and counted. Slossberg said she didn’t know why there was a discrepancy between her office’s findings and the commission’s but still believes the state should consider allowing military voters to use email, fax or other means to return their absentee ballots.

“Until every ballot is counted, our work isn’t done,” she said. “These are the people who leave their families and their homes to stand up for us overseas. They put their life in jeopardy, and the least we could do is ensure that their right to vote is protected and that their vote is counted.”

Slossberg said the systems created by other states have proved to be safe and successful.

“All we need to do is look to Rhode Island, which has been doing this for 30 years and not had one problem,” said Slossberg, referring to Rhode Island’s system of allowing military voters to fax back their absentee ballots. “There has not been one incident of fraud, not one, in all of these states.”

Merrill said the improvement in the military-vote count was likely because of federal voting reforms, including a requirement that states electronically send at least a blank absentee ballot to military voters instead of making them wait to have a printed ballot with the names of all the candidates sent by mail.

“That actually seems to have cured a lot of the problems,” Merrill said. “I think the reason that the electronic sending of the ballots has worked better is because it’s completely shortening the time frame.”

Slossberg predicted the issue will be revisited when the new legislative session starts Feb. 5.

“We look forward to continuing to determine what the method will be,” the senator said.