ELECTIONS: Absentee Voting Assistance to Military and Overseas Citizens Increased for the 2004 General Election, but Challenges Remain
Abstract
The narrow margin of victory in the 2000 presidential election raised concerns about the extent to which members of the military, their dependents, and U.S. citizens living abroad were able to vote via absentee ballot. In September2001, GAO made recommendations to address variances in the Department of Defenses (DOD)Federal Voting Assistance Program(FVAP). Along with the military services and the Department of State (DOS), FVAP is responsible for educating and assisting military personnel and overseas citizens in the absentee voting process. Leading up to the 2004 presidential election, Members of Congress raised concerns about efforts under FVAP to facilitate absentee voting. Because of broad Congressional interest, GAO initiated a review under the Comptroller Generals authority to address three questions: (1) How did FVAPs assistance efforts differ between the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections? (2) What actions did DOD and DOS take in response to prior GAO recommendations on absentee voting? and (3) What challenges remain in providing voting assistance to military personnel and overseas citizens? This review is one of several GAO reviews related to various aspects of the 2004 election.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 07, 2006
- Accession Number
- AD1174102
Entities
People
- Derek B. Stewart
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office