Web vote offered to military abroad

[DogPoundPup]

TALLAHASSEE --
A small Panhandle county that is home to one of the world's largest air bases is embarking on a sweeping experiment in Internet voting that could transform elections in the 21st century.

But the push by Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections Pat Hollarn to use the Internet to make it easier for U.S. soldiers overseas to vote is drawing fire from voting activists who call her project ''unsafe'' and contrary to a new law that requires the state to use paper ballots.

Frustrated by the pace of overseas voting efforts undertaken by the Department of Defense in recent years, Hollarn has championed a plan that will let those living on, or near, three military bases in the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan cast ballots in the November election.

During a 10-day period just before Election Day, voters living abroad will be able to enter a computer kiosk and vote on an encrypted electronic ballot, which will eventually be shipped to Florida via the Internet and then counted. Poll workers will be on site to verify that the person is a registered Okaloosa County voter.

Hollarn, an elections supervisor for the past 20 years, views her ''distance balloting project'' as just another type of absentee ballot that uses the Internet instead of the mail. The ballot will have all of the federal, state and local races that appear on the one used in Okaloosa County.

AN ALTERNATIVE

''This is strictly an alternative method of absentee-ballot delivery and return for people where mail is a significant problem,'' Hollarn said.

While the project is open to any Okaloosa voter living abroad, the thrust is clearly aimed at military voters. Okaloosa County, home to sugar-white sand beaches and fewer than 200,000 residents, is also home to the massive Eglin Air Force Base.

Hollarn, whose husband was in the Air Force, has set up a private group to help with the project. The group has the military-sounding name of Operation BRAVO Foundation. BRAVO stands for Bring Remote Access to Voters Overseas.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/458/story/546799.html

[Tippy]

1. Well we know what will happen....McCain will get more than anyone else

And you can take that to the bank.....

[Crazy Dave]

2. WooHoo!

Eglin, that's where I was born :woohoo:

[Wilms]

3. "Operation Northwoods" proposed using Eglin AFB for "Plane Swapping"

Why not use it for vote swapping? :shrug:

Go on brave people...google "Operation Northwoods"...and consider 9/11 in that context. :scared:

[L. Coyote]

4. Bush vs. Gore. n/t

[Wilms]

5. Up