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Senate prevails in conference but battle not over yet
Tuesday,
April 29, 2008
A joint conference of the full Senate and House has failed to resolve differences between the two chambers on the military voting bill.
The Senate has refused to give in to the House’s request to add church ministers assigned overseas to the list of voters eligible to vote absentee in local elections. The Senate version of the Military voting bill allows uniformed service members to register and vote by mail in the gubernatorial and House of Representatives election. The House version of the bill also provides the same privilege for soldiers. But in addition, the House has added to the list of those who can vote absentee, church ministers and their families.
House Speaker Savali Talavou Ale said only church ministers who had previously resided here and had voted in previous elections but have had to move overseas because of their ministries would be eligible under the House bill. Vice Speaker Agaoleatu Charlie Tautolo said the clergy were able to vote absentee in local elections but the Election Office discontinued this a few years ago. Chief Election Officer Soliai Tuipine told a Senate hearing earlier that he stopped faifeau from voting absentee because the law did not allow this. Senator Tuaolo Fruean who led the Senate conferees called for a vote after both sides refused to give in. There were nine votes for the clergy provision and ten votes against it. It is now up to each chamber to decide which version of the military voting bill it will endorse.
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