Are military voting ballots, including those from Iraq, secret ballots?

[dhinojosa]

I am just wondering if anyone has information on this. I am just wondering if there is a reason why there is almost an absurd amount of support for Bush. Do you think they the military keeps track of the way the troops vote, perhaps use them for future reprisals?

[pocket]

1. Yes, they are secret.

Just ask yourself what sort of person is likely to join up hoping to kill some brown people. It's a natural constituency.

[dhinojosa]

2. :) nt

[libertad]

7. Wrong, they are not secret, an officer must sign the ballot after it

has been completed and then it is sealed and mailed. I was in the military and I find your characterization very insulting.

[Vickers]

8. I never had to get an officer to sign my ballot

:shrug:

[dhinojosa]

10. Wow got a couple of diffences here....

I wonder what is going on....

[pgh_dem]

3. Link for absurd amount of support? As far as I know, the

military numbers were never indepedently cited...implying that they were not so overwhelmingly republican as they have been historically.

Not doubting you, just wondering if you've actually seen evidence of this absurd amount of support. (course, to me, to say * is more pleasant than a mountain of dog crap is an absurd amount of support).

[dhinojosa]

4. No, the absurd amount I gathered from people here and from discussions

I have no evidence, and it seems evidence is hard to come by. I have no idea what or how the elections went for the troops, etc. The votes from those serving in Iraq is a big mysterious cloud.

[pgh_dem]

5. Ok, just saying...maybe the question should be

Does that support actually exist...or is it just rumored and repeated by the media?

Like people repeating that * is a 'popular wartime president'...

[RUMPLEMINTZ]

6. For What it's worth I found

this at the Washington Post

"We now have fairly compelling evidence, in the form of a Military Times survey of its readership (primarily career military officers and enlisted personnel), that reports of the demise of Bush's popularity were premature. By an astonishing 72 to 17 percent margin, the active-duty military personnel who took the survey favored Bush over Kerry (Guard and Reserve respondents favored Bush, 73 to 18 percent). Frankly, the margin greatly exceeds anything that I or any other analyst had expected."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25656-2004Oct11.html

[dhinojosa]

9. Were they told "We will know who you vote for, lets just hope...:"

"it isn't for the pansy from Massachusetts, or your military career will be short". Thanks for the link.

[Vickers]

11. I voted for Dukakis in 1988 over GHWB, and I didn't brag about it

I was in the service at the time, and I imagine if I had been asked I might have lied. :shrug: I'm guessing many troops these days are outwardly gung-ho for Bush, but pulled the lever for Kerry.