Adopted on February 1, 2010; Reaffirmed on February 13, 2015; Reaffirmed on February 2, 2020
WHEREAS, the members of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) appreciate the efforts that the Republican National Committee, the Democratic National Committee and their state parties throughout the nation have made on behalf of military and overseas voters;
WHEREAS, NASS is dedicated to improving and enhancing voter participation and election administration among the military and overseas voter communities, and has sought to play a significant part in these efforts by working with the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Federal Voting Assistance Program, the Military Postal Service and the U.S. Postal Service to develop a federally-funded system for expedited delivery and return of UOCAVA ballots so that these voters may be able to have their ballots cast and counted;
WHEREAS, NASS has served as a champion of improving the presidential nominating process by ensuring that many voters, in as many states as possible, have a meaningful role in this process;
WHEREAS, Secretaries of State believe that the more party voters—including military and overseas voters—participate, the more likely it is that the party’s candidate will best reflect that party’s principles and can present them most effectively to the general voting population;
WHEREAS, both parties have the opportunity to champion the full participation of military and overseas voters in the presidential selection process for 2020 and beyond by seeking new ways to enfranchise military voters and other voters whose personal work, family or health situation make it impossible to participate in primaries, caucuses and state party conventions;
NOW BE IT RESOLVED, that NASS encourages state legislatures and national and state political parties to establish voting options to make presidential primaries, party caucuses and party conventions accessible to overseas citizens and deployed military personnel.
EXPIRES: Winter 2025
