Martins Blasts Opponents For Trying to Keep Military Personnel From Voting in General Election

Press Release

Jack Martins, Republican candidate for Congress in NY-3, blasted a move by his opponents to prevent active duty military personnel serving overseas from being able to vote in the general election in violation of federal law.

"Tom Suozzi continues to show why voters don't trust him. After admitting last week that his campaign broke the law and forged dead people's signatures on his nominating petitions, he now wants to break the law again and prevent American servicemen and women from voting in the general election. Nassau residents threw Tom Suozzi out of office because of his history of bad decisions; playing politics with the military's right to vote is just the latest example that he hasn't changed," said Martins.

The federal MOVE Act requires that states send absentee ballots to active duty military personnel and their family members who request them at least 45 days before the election. Because these men and women are serving our country in every corner of globe, this time period is necessary to ensure that they receive their ballots prior to the election date.

Earlier this week, a federal judge ordered a Republican primary in NY-3 on October 6th, just 32 days before the November 8th general election. Keeping the general election on November 8th would violate federal law and compromise military personnel's ability to vote by providing only 32 days at the earliest to mail absentee ballots. Moving the general election to December 6th is necessary to comply with federal law and ensure that our servicemen and women, as well as their families, are able to cast their votes and have them counted.

"The reason we're in this position in the first place is because Flip Pidot spent months initiating and withdrawing legal actions and delaying appeals (Pidot waited nearly 30 days to file an appeal) instead of just defending his petitions at the Board of Elections hearing in May. Now he says we shouldn't give the military the same ability to vote in the general election as in the primary election? No wonder he's been repeatedly rejected by voters," Martins added.

Federal Law: The MOVE Act protects the right of service members to vote in federal elections regardless of where they are stationed. Under Federal law, States must allow service members and their families to register to vote and to vote absentee. States are required to send absentee ballots to any service members or family members who request them no later than 45 days before the election.

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