Bill seeks VA voter sign-ups
By Dennis Camire
Advertiser Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Nine Democratic senators introduced legislation yesterday that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to allow nonpartisan voting rights groups to conduct voter registration services at its medical facilities and homes.
But Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said that he had concerns about the senators' legislation, which he was not co-sponsoring.
"The bill as drafted has the potential to force VA to take on additional, unnecessary work," Akaka said. Still, Akaka said he hoped to work with the senators to find a solution that will permit the groups to register veterans in VA facilities.
The senators introduced their bill after VA Secretary James B. Peake brushed aside requests that VA facilities be designated as voter registration sites.
The agency currently makes voter registration services available to veterans who are in-patients or residents, and each VA facility has the option to reach out for assistance if it is not able to meet those needs. But it bans nonpartisan voting rights groups from conducting voter registration drives at VA medical centers, nursing homes, clinics and other facilities.
Alison Aikele, a spokeswoman for the VA, said: "Designating a VA hospital as a voter registration site would allow the general public to use it for that purpose, and would be disruptive to the quality of care we provide our veterans." She added, "VA is confident that we are able to meet the voting needs ... and will continue to work with election officials and other nonpartisan groups to ensure our veterans have the ability to participate in the voting process."
But the senators argued that the VA policies are making it harder, not easier, for veterans to exercise their right to vote by limiting their access to those who could provide election information and registration assistance.
"This is about giving those who have fought to spread democracy and freedom the right to exercise that freedom in the voting booth," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., a sponsor of the bill. "Given the sacrifices that these men and women have made, providing easy access to voter registration services is the very least we can do."
The bill would require the VA to:
The senators joined with voting rights groups, such as the American Association of People with Disabilities, the League of Women Voters, Common Cause and elections officials from at least 10 states to pressure the VA to designate its facilities as voter registration sites and allow nonpartisan voter registration drives.
They want the policy changed quickly so as many veterans as possible — especially those confined to hospitals and homes — can vote in the Nov. 4 general election. The groups maintain that if the VA would allow the nonpartisan drives and become registration sites, potentially tens of thousands of veterans could be registered.
Jim Dickson, vice president of the disabilities association, said that for veterans with disabilities, voter registration opportunities through the VA are essential. "Veterans with disabilities have a harder time registering to vote through state agencies, so we call on Secretary Peake to help," he said.
Peake said the standing voter policies, adopted in May, are the result of "careful deliberation and consideration" for patients' rights, concerns about disrupting operations and the need to ensure the VA is not involved in partisan political activities prohibited by the Hatch Act. That law bans federal employees from participating in partisan activities on official time or on government property.
Peake said that while federal employees may work in nonpartisan drives, determining nonpartisanship requires examining the background and goals of the sponsoring group, something the agency is not in a position to do.
Akaka said Peake's application of the Hatch Act is wrong.
"If his contention were true, any federal employee stopping to consider whether a comment or e-mail might be inappropriately partisan could violate the Hatch Act with that decision-making process itself," Akaka said. "That interpretation makes no sense."
Akaka said if the VA can't determine which voter registration drives are partisan or nonpartisan, it should allow both and tell VA employees not to participate if they are uncertain about it.
In addition, Peake has declined requests from California for VA facilities there to be designated as voter registration sites, saying it would require the VA to supply money and other services in addition to offering voter registration.
The voting rights groups dismissed Peake's concerns, contending that the agency would have only to provide the same amount of help to applicants as it does in filling out any form. The National Voter Registration Act allows federal agencies to take on voter registration duties by dispensing applications, the voting rights groups said.
Tova Wang, vice president for research at Common Cause, said it is within the VA's rights to decline state requests that its facilities become voter registration sites. "We just believe that they should be more concerned with all veterans being registered to vote and voting than what their actions so far have indicated," she said.
Contact Dennis Camire at dcamire@gns.gannett.com.
Reach Dennis Camire at dcamire@gns.gannett.com.
