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Piccola Calls on Governor to Extend Absentee Military Ballot
Deadline
HARRISBURG -- United
States Senator Rick Santorum and Pennsylvania Senate Majority Whip Jeff Piccola
(R-15) called upon Governor Ed Rendell today to extend the deadline for the
submission of absentee ballots for Pennsylvania men and women in uniform who are
serving overseas.
Noting
a similar extension was granted in the April primary, Santorum charged that
Rendell’s refusal to grant an extension will “result in hundreds, thousands who
may be disenfranchised while they are serving our country. This election may be
decided by the few hundred votes or thousand votes that are coming back from our
service men and women.”
During
the press conference, Piccola referred to a statement by Rendell as reported in
the April 17th edition of the Patriot News: “Rendell at that time embraced the
move saying, ‘It would simply be unjust for those individuals fighting in combat
to become disenfranchised because of procedural and administrative delays.’”
Piccola added, “It’s quite interesting that the Governor no longer holds this
concern about the voting rights of our brave men and women who are serving our
country overseas.”
“The
concern is this Administration because they believe that most of the military
ballots will be for Republican candidates are trying to block them (service men
and women) from being voted,” said Santorum.
Additionally, both Piccola and Santorum called upon Rendell to immediately
rescind the retention of Mark Aronchick as a consultant to the Pennsylvania
Department of State who is reportedly serving as counsel on legal issues arising
in the course of this November’s election which includes a plan to deploy teams
of state workers to every election board and election court in all 67 counties.
Commenting on Aronchick, Santorum noted, “It looks bad. I have dealt with
him. He is a partisan Democrat. It gives people a reason to question the
integrity of the election.”
“The
fact that Mr. Aronchick left the Kerry campaign on September 22nd and within a
few days we learned of his retention by the Governor as well as the plan to use
the SWAT teams smacks of political interference to benefit the Kerry campaign,”
said Piccola. “The Governor has no authority, the Department of State has no
authority to do what they are doing,” he added. Piccola went on to urge county
election officials to abide by Pennsylvania law, which gives them sole authority
to administer elections.
Santorum and Piccola were joined by a local mother of a soldier presently
serving in Afghanistan and formerly in Iraq, Linda Ruff of Halifax, whose son,
Jared, left college to enlist in the Army and serves in its Special Forces, is
on his fourth deployment. “It is important to my son and to everyone who
is serving our country that their votes be counted,” she said.
Additionally, Megan Reedy said, “My husband is fighting in Iraq for our rights.
Why should his right to vote be denied -- particularly this year more than
ever?”
Piccola
and Santorum were also joined by former Adjutant General Bill Lynch, members
from the State House of Representatives, and many other leaders from
Pennsylvania’s veterans’ community.
 
# # #
Sen. Jeff
Piccola joined
U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, Congressman Don Sherwood and local
veterans at an Oct. 19 news conference in the Capitol Media Center to
address concerns about military and overseas voters not having enough time
to submit absentee ballots for the Nov. 2 election.
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