Approximately 100,000 ill and disabled veterans in U.S. Veteran’s Administration facilities around the country are being prevented from registering to vote in the upcoming elections according to a veterans group.
According to Sharon Kufeldt, vice president of Veterans for Peace, the VA is obstructing efforts by groups to register veterans residing in VA facilities. The veterans group claims that they have been denied access to facilities including the VA hospital in San Francisco. At that facility, the VA required that anyone wishing to register veterans in the facility submit to a process estimated by the VA to take two weeks.
“Most activists are reluctant to take the official word seriously. “While we are pleased that VA has changed course, we are not confident that they will follow through, because they have taken no action to date,” said Paul Sullivan, executive director of the Washington-based Veterans for Common Sense.”
On Wednesday, Sullivan, along with the leaders of five other rights groups, sent a letter to the Senate urging its members to take immediate action on the proposed Veteran Voting Support Act, introduced by Democratic Senators Diane Feinstein and John Kerry.
“Veterans, who have performed the greatest service to the nation and risked the greatest sacrifice, deserve no less,” the letter said. “Americans who have risked their lives in deserve every opportunity to exercise the right to vote.”[1. IPS 9/28/08]
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