Admin submits
absentee military voting bill to Fono
by La Poasa
Samoa News Staff
Gov. Togiola
Tulafono has submitted to the Fono a proposal aimed at making
it possible for an active duty military person to use absentee
registration to vote absentee in local elective offices.
The proposal
is called the Uniformed Service Absentee and Overseas Voter Act.
In a letter to
the Fono leadership dated March 14, Togiola said the proposal
"provides reasonable access for our uniformed service members
who are absent from the Territory or are overseas, to our local
election process."
Togiola noted
as the leaders are aware, local law already provides for this
type of access for absentee and overseas uniformed service voters,
their spouses and dependents.
"This bill
would make substantially similar provisions for access to our
local elections for Governor and Lieutenant Governor and the
American Samoa House of Representatives," the governor said.
"Also included in this bill is the extension of voting privileges
to spouses and dependents who join the uniformed service while
they are still eligible under this proposed law."
He said the intent
of the proposal is to "give the same access to uniformed
service members' spouses and dependents who continue in service
to the United States of America and the Territory of American
Samoa."
The governor
urged the Fono leadership to support a speedy passage of the
proposal.
Late last month,
Togiola met with Congressman Faleomavaega Eni, CSM Tuileama Nua
and MAJ Tauapai Laupola in Washington D.C. to discuss and address
concerns regarding verifying Home of Records (HOR), residence
and other administrative issues.
Nua and Laupola
said the military has a system in place that verifies voting
requirements for American Samoa and these requirements will be
verified by service member's unit and signed by the commander
before a service member can vote absentee ballot.
They say the
home of record (HOR) and other administrative information can
be verified through Initial Enlistment contracts, Enlisted Record
Briefs (ERB) and Officers Record Briefs (ORB).
Reach the
reporter at la@samoanews.com.
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