Thursday, February 22, 2001

By Carlos Bongioanni
Okinawa bureau

KADENA AIR BASE — A Department of Defense Inspector General team met with enlisted servicemembers here Wednesday to evaluate the procedures and handling of overseas military absentee ballots.

The team’s visit to Kadena is part of a worldwide effort to determine whether inconsistencies exist between DOD procedural regulations and the implementation of those procedures.

A written statement from the DOD IG office stated, "we will evaluate pertinent policy, cancellation and postmarking procedures … and any impediments to prompt and proper processing."

Inspectors began their evaluation in December following November’s presidential election debacle, which ultimately hinged on the results of absentee ballots from servicemembers overseas. Thousands of those ballots were called into question because of postmark irregularities.

The DOD teams have been evaluating various governmental services responsible for establishing and executing procedures for handling military ballots from overseas, the statement said. The teams have traveled to military installations in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Inspectors who visited Kadena this week held three 90-minute sessions Wednesday to meet with enlisted servicemembers and their families.

A session for DOD civilian employees was to begin Thursday at 8 a.m and a three-hour open forum to discuss the issue with the public was to be held at 1 p.m. A session for officers is planned for Friday at 8 a.m. All sessions are being held at the base’s Schilling Recreation Center.

The team is to meet with the Marine Corps community members on Okinawa next week. Details on times and locations were unavailable at presstime.

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