Victory for Veterans' Voting Rights

May 1 Victory for Veterans' Voting Rights: VA Reverses Policy, Allows Registration After Pressure from Congress and VCS

The VA bows to public and political pressure, but soldiers still must ask for help. "VA's new directive is progress," said Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, whose mission has long included advocating for former soldiers' voting rights. "They changed from actively opposing it to passively supporting it."

Please see prior article, "April 10, VCS in the News: VA Creates Roadblocks to Voter Registration for Injured Veterans: -
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/9783


May 1, 2008 - The Department of Veterans Affairs has issued new rules allowing former soldiers living at VA facilities to ask for help with registering to vote and voting -- a decision that could increase participation in the 2008 election by wounded Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans.

The new rules, to be published on government websites this week, reverses a years-long policy where the VA opposed helping patients and others living on VA campuses -- notably homeless veterans -- with voter registration and voting, saying to do so would be a partisan activity.

"It is VHA policy to assist patients who seek to exercise their right to register and vote," said the new policy, issued by the Veterans Health Administration as Directive 2008-02. "This policy establishes a uniform approach to assembling and providing information on voter registration and voting to veterans who request it."
go here for more
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/9993