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<br />f'age 1 m /..
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<br />M=h 8, 2000
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<br />March S, 2000
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<br />The Honorable. Willi"", Cohen
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<br />Secretl\r1i llf DcfellSe
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<br />Department of ~fc:n.sc
<br />! 000 Defensc penlllgon
<br />
<br />Washington, D.<O. 20301-1000
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<br />Mr, Secrt:lll1)':
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<br />The Dlcction Center is a national nllllprotit organiZ'dlion workinA with Ille lIOVcmlnelll o(!jciMs who
<br />;10 voter rcgistration and dedi.o1\3 adrninlstr~lion at the township, city, eoQtltY ani! state levels, We
<br />are nonpnrtisarr stuluonpolitical _' ,,'" work is with the 8,000 election, jurisdictions in the n.s. who
<br />conduct Ilofficial" elections-
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<br />We have been contaclx:d by ootlle of o"r memberS beMIC'" of a OOD dired,ive from your office whieh
<br />informs miJittrry and reserVe IJerSOnne1 tbat the hose or reserve f"cilitie:s are not to be "...d for partisan
<br />p',lilica1 ellEllpallll1" or candidates and, more specifically, that they are not 111 bc uscxl for poUuIg ""
<br />voting sites,
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<br />Nalional uUllIC and u,ilittrry base eommanders have interprelx:d that to roe~n lbat offloial voter
<br />registration Dr elections eamwl "OW be held on noD faeilities, I .iucerely doubt thai yllu, as
<br />S"",rctar)' of Defense and a. ronn'" u.s. l'lel1ator. Intended 1he meaning ofwhal was senl out under
<br />your name, bOIl that is the inte,rpletation thaI ha!; l~.en djrected [0 miJiwy pel'3onnel or dvilian
<br />p""'"IU1el in oharge o[nOD facilities, In some ellSes OUl' 10c.1 jurisdictions have been using DOD
<br />facilities for >I., long a:J they ha'" hecn open "- OVP.T man.y decades,
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<br />A DOD directive iSs"",] "" DTu 1717317. in December ofl999listcd as from SECDm' washinalL1l1
<br />DClOASD.PAIDLrll Ii,ts under ,,"bscction E and more specifically, E (1) thaHaciUtie. an: not to be
<br />used for polling or e.\e<::ti"us sites be<:ausc (hey may be interpn:led as violation ",f Olle of s~eraI
<br />.wu.tory proY;,;OI1S (npparendy 81wCLning partlcipalion in partisan polil.ics),
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<br />While we awlnud the in'e"l to l'rolecl the I.:lIlparDSllG nature (i r ~overnmenl taelli[i.,,, and personnel,
<br />the cffect is to nlake it more difficult for milit~ and llonmilitary citizens l(, partioipate in llu:
<br />democratic process, It removes fll(lilities wbic11 would encourage your own personnel fro111
<br />participation as ",en as citizens in cumrnunities where Ihe lUilitllry faciliti.. are an inte!';fal part "f
<br />their cOlUmunity w:'~ may wdl be the only Jluulic facilities avaUablc for aU cilizeD;'" In an.".a of great
<br />concCfD obout Flrc1patlon ,n the demucratio prooe~s, do we rcally WlIIlt to .m~ it more difficult for
<br />voterS to "..rc,sc their righlln participate?
<br />
<br />Tllis is a well intenuM hut severely mj.~uided answer dnoa"'cd 1IP by someone who i5 overly zealul1"
<br />in their appmach to institutioD>ll .CY An on potenti.l partisun oamp.i~ll abuses,l do not, fOft' a minute,
<br />bd ieve that you persll"a.Ily SlOW and issu..l tbis dite~tive; be<:lt.USC yOll would have immedinlely
<br />
<br />understOod il' implications fUI dcmOCtllCY and the impact on your own per5Olllle1 ilJld the
<br />1;U1l1mllflities in wbich the DOll has flldlille", .
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<br />Con we get lh;s sp""jfio inslIUCliLlh to the military al1ll reservist eomm,aru.l"'" ~ncled? It .ervc::s no
<br />re.J purpose in prote<'.tin ~ the military and ULle" severe daxnlllle IJ, \hQ service of democ,racy.
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<br />hlll':/ /www.votener,orglSecr_Dclilnce3J,000,\ltml
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<br />05/0912000
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<br />53111J NW ~o 3n~31 Wd00:h0.
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