Yet Another Example of This Administration’s Veteran Abuse

For years, our government has allowed the managers of its many veteran facilities across the nation to decide individually whether to permit voter registration drives.

But now, only months before a very crucial national election, the Department of Veterans Affairs has issued a new directive that bans nonpartisan voter registration drives at all federally financed veteran hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and shelters for homeless veterans.

As a result, far too many of our most patriotic American citizens — our wounded, injured, and chronically ill military veterans — may not be able to vote this November – in an election in which many of them really want their voices to be heard.

And there are now thousands of veterans of our wars in Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and the current campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan who are isolated behind the walls of veteran hospitals and nursing homes across the country.

We have an obligation to make sure that each of their voices is heard at the ballot box.

The current administration offers two reasons to justify its new decision. First, it claims that voter registration drives are disruptive to the care of its patients.

And this is utter nonsense. Veterans, or anyone else for that matter, can fill out a voter registration card in about 90 seconds.

Second, it claims that government employees cannot help patients register to vote because the Hatch Act forbids federal workers from engaging in partisan political activities.

But this interpretation of the Hatch Act is erroneous. Registering people to vote is not partisan activity.   And it’s been allowed for years.

And if the VA doesn’t want to burden its staff, there are several national organizations with a long history of nonpartisan advocacy for veterans and their right to vote, which are very eager to help.

Bills that would require the VA to repeal this ban have now been filed in both houses of Congress. But they need to be signed into law no later than Oct. 1st, so that veterans in VA care don’t miss their states’ deadlines to register to vote in the fall elections.

But additional federal legislation shouldn’t even be needed to lift this ban on voter registration drives by state and local election officials and nonpartisan groups.

Our government officials should be doing everything they can to support our nation’s veterans, who have served us all so courageously.

And there is no justification for any new barrier that impedes the ability of our veterans to participate in democracy’s most fundamental act - voting.

If you feel the same, please contact your own legislators right now, before it’s too late.