Douglas MacArthur reminded us that we are not “entitled to the blessings of freedom unless [we] be vigilant in its preservation."

EIPCa™ is urging Congress to ACT, and urging YOU to be vigilant by doing all you can to ensure that they do. This article series is designed to foster your understanding of our “EIPCa & AFF Proposal for Comprehensive Election Integrity Legislation and supporting documents” to Congress so you may be a groundswell force for support they cannot ignore.

Please do not miss a single article in this series designed to foster your understanding of our Proposal. If you do, you may access them here. While you are on the website, sign up to receive all future articles directly to your inbox.

Knowledge is power, and acting on our collective knowledge

will have the power to Restore our Republic before it is too late.

As you read each article, we encourage you also to read the corresponding section of the Proposal, where you will find expanded discussion, arguments and links to EIPCa’s extensive evidence as to the absolute necessity of what we are proposing.

As mentioned in Part 3 of this series of articles, EIPCa’s Proposal asks that proof of citizenship and identity be provided both to register and to vote. This requirement must extend to American citizens voting from overseas.

Overseas voters have the option to submit their ballots by fax if they cannot meet mailing deadlines. In doing so, they must sign an acknowledgement that they are surrendering their right to a secret ballot.

It would therefore not be legally or constitutionally problematic to amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) to require submission of proof of ID, such as a photo copy of their passport, military ID or other government-issued photo ID, along with the ballot.

Aside from citizenship and identification issues, there are additional concerns that require Congressional resolution regarding overseas voters.

1.  Under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and the Military and Overseas Empowerment Act (MOVE):

• overseas voters must submit a request for an absentee ballot to the jurisdiction where they are entitled to vote so that it is received at least 30 days in advance of Election Day.

• voters who do not receive their requested absentee ballot may, as a fail-safe, use the federal write-in ballot, if their absentee ballot request was submitted according to the legal timeline.

However, it has been held that a voter must simply submit an application for a state absentee ballot more than 30 days before the election, but not that the state officials must actually receive it.

The voter simply has to make an affirmative statement that the application was submitted to satisfy the requirement.

Allowing individuals to simply say that they submitted a request for an absentee ballot from their state, regardless of whether the state confirms the request was received, lacks any genuine security measure.

Relying entirely on each individual’s honesty prevents only honest voters from voting outside the legal stipulations, as dishonest voters will simply lie to receive the federal ballot.

It would be simple to close that loophole by requiring voters to obtain an official, dated and time-stamped receipt of mailing they can provide should the application go astray in the postal service.

2.  Many permissive state laws create a major imbalance in voter “rights.” 

• Some states allow electronic delivery and submission of ballots. Such practice must be rendered illegal as it is a highly risky and insecure practice that threatens election integrity.

• Since UOCAVA does not specify that ballots be postmarked nor that they be received by Election Day, there is a seeming conflict with state laws that do require either or both that may lead voters to assume that an omission in the federal law trumps the state requirement.

3.  As explained beginning on page 25 of EIPCa’s Proposal, due to the increased risks inherent in overseas voting, it is counterintuitive that registration and voting be easier and subject to fewer security measures and verification procedures offshore than within the borders of the United States.

• While ballots cast by citizens voluntarily living abroad are subject to greater risks, as they often rely on a foreign country’s infrastructure, take longer to transmit, and are harder to verify, federal law allows them not to be subject to all the same security measures as votes cast within in the United States.

• Individuals abroad are not subject to the same oversight as they are in the United States; malfeasance abroad is harder to detect and report, and less likely to be reported, as well as being more difficult to prosecute.

Congress must address these inequities and threats to election security and integrity by standardizing absentee voting procedures for ALL voters.

Not only should physical proof of citizenship at registration and identity when casting a vote be required, but there must be non-negotiable deadlines for all voters, domestic and overseas:

• No absentee voting should be permitted unless provably necessary (to be expanded upon in Part 10 of this series).

• All ballots must be received and countable no later than 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Now that you have begun to acquaint yourself with EIPCa’s historic Proposal for Congressional action, it is time for you to ACT as well.

As previously stated, a majority of Americans are suspicious and cynical about the systems in place for electing their leaders. Some have given up and ceased to vote at all. Others have reached the point of smoldering anger, discontent and hopelessness.

Both responses are counterproductive and self-destructive.

Fortunately, a much larger number of Americans are engaging the problem with energy and resolve. As Machiavelli so astutely noted, people accustomed to operating in a society that lives and breathes liberty and freedom will not easily be subdued and oppressed.

EIPCa™ urges you to roll up your sleeves and join us

in our determination to win back our right to self-governance.

1.  Alert all fair-minded individuals you know to this article series. Encourage them to read and digest parts 1-4, to begin exploring the entire Proposal, to sign up to receive the rest of the series articles in their own inboxes, and to do the same with people in their circle of influence in all states.

2.  For Congress to get the message that We the People are serious about fixing the MANY issues in our election systems, every one of us must now begin a regular outreach to our own congressional and, eventually, senatorial representatives.

Begin to drop short, respectful constituent emails to your Congressional Representative.

Inform your rep that EIPCa’s Proposal is already in the hands of the members of the Committee on House Administration/Elections Subcommittee and mention one or two of the points in the Proposal most important to you. Encourage support.

3.  Keep at it! Once a week, write another reminder of the importance of Congress-led election reform. Commit to being a polite but squeaky wheel.

Water erodes mountains one drop at a time.

Let’s start dripping!

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