To: Virginia's General Assembly Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia State Board of Elections U.S. Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, WE THE PEOPLE OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA stand in Unified Support with our Military that are Absent from the Commonwealth while serving the People of the United States in foreign territory. Therefore, have been denied their U.S. and State Constitutional Rights to Vote in a free election as United States Citizens. WHEREAS, U.S. Federal District Court Judge Richard L. Williams, ruled on 15 October 2009, [quote] "The right to vote means a right to cast a ballot that will be counted." "For the second time Virginia violated the voting rights of American military personnel and overseas citizens by failing to mail absentee ballots in sufficient time for them to be counted in last year's presidential election." WHEREAS, Judge Williams ruled "Virginia's failure to mail more than 2,000 absentee ballots at least 30 days prior to the Nov. 4 election violated the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, a federal law." The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act was enacted by congress in 1986. The UOCAVA requires that the states and territories allow certain groups of citizens to register and vote absentee in elections for Federal offices. Citizens covered by the UOCAVA to register and vote absentee in state and local elections as well include:. Members of the United States Uniformed Services and merchant marine; their family members; and United States citizens residing outside the United States. WE THE UNDERSIGNED by the Power to Petition PROCLAIM: "the men and women who bravely put their lives on the line to serve their nation deserve, at the least, to know that their votes will be counted." SO SAYETH, Thomas E. Perez, assistant U.S. Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, and WE the CITIZENS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA place our mark...

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