E-Vote: Alabama to Develop Internet Voting System for Troops

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley last week created a bipartisan panel and tasked it with developing a plan that will allow deployed military troops and other Alabamians overseas to vote in elections using the Internet.

"If there is any group of people who understands the importance of voting, it is the men and women of our armed forces," said Riley. "But the very people who defend our freedom to hold elections are often faced with a bureaucratic and slow-moving process when it is their turn to vote. They deserve better. They deserve an absentee ballot system that is easy to navigate with no time-consuming hassles standing in their way."

By executive order, the Governor has created the Alabama Military and Overseas Voting Task Force that will be chaired by the secretary of state, the chief elections officer of the state. The task force will develop a plan of action for the implementation of a secure system for Internet voting for deployed military personnel and citizens of the state who are living overseas at election time.

"Governor Riley and I share a passion for making military and overseas voting the most efficient and convenient that we can for our citizens. This collaborative effort will allow us to make this a reality for those who serve our country and live abroad," said Secretary of State Beth Chapman.

Legislation to create a secure Internet voting system was introduced in the 2007 legislative session and in the 2008 session which began earlier this month, but no bills have passed, according to Riley's Office.

There are an estimated 56,000 citizens overseas who claim Alabama as their residence.

In addition to the secretary of state, other members of the task force are: the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house, the attorney general, the adjutant general of the Alabama National Guard, the president of the Alabama Circuit Clerks Association, the president of the Alabama Probate Judges Association, the president of the Association of County Commissions, the president of the Alabama Sheriffs Association, the president of the Alabama League of Municipalities, the chairperson of the Alabama Registrars Association, the chairperson of the Alabama Voter Registration Advisory Board, the chairperson of the Alabama Electronic Voting Committee, the commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs, the chief information officer of the Finance Department's Information Services Division, and the Alabama Help America Vote Act director. In addition, the chairperson of the governor's HAVA Implementation Committee will serve as a member until the committee no longer exists.

JB