Pentagon blocks site for voters outside U.S.

[blondeatlast]

http://www.iht.com/bin/print.php?file=539597.html

PARIS In a decision that could affect Americans abroad who are not yet registered to vote in the Nov. 2 presidential election, the Pentagon has begun restricting international access to the official Web site intended to help overseas absentee voters cast ballots.

According to overseas-voter advocates who have been monitoring the situation, Internet service providers in at least 25 countries - including Yahoo Broadband in Japan, Wanadoo in France, BT Yahoo Broadband in Britain and Telefónica in Spain - have been denied access to the site of the Federal Voting Assistance Program, apparently to protect it from hackers.

In an e-mail addressed to a person in France who had tried to access the Web site, the Federal Voting Assistance Program's Web manager, Susan Leader, wrote: “We are sorry you cannot access www.fvap.gov. Unfortunately, Wanadoo France has had its access blocked to U.S. government Web sites due to Wanadoo users constantly attempting to hack these sites. We do not expect the block to be lifted."
(more)

[ShinPath]

1. Democrats Abroad reply

This just, in from Sharon Manitta, Press Officer of Dems Abroad. The blog
<www.demsjapan.jp> has the complete release. Terri

PRESS RELEASE-For Immediate release-September 20, 2004

Some may be trying to rock the vote but the Pentagon has decided to block it.

Readers of the International Herald Tribune awoke this morning to a
front-page story titled Pentagon blocks site for voters outside U.S.
The lead reads, "In a decision that could affect Americans abroad who are not yet registered to vote in the Nov. 2 presidential election, the Pentagon has begin restricting international access to the official web site intended to help overseas absentee voters cast ballots.
What few Americans, either at home or living outside the U.S., know is that the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) whose website (www.fvap.gov) is the site in question is a part of the Department of Defense. Originally created to help military personnel stationed overseas to vote, the FVAP is now the official reference for voter registration information to help voters within the estimated 7 million Americans who live and work abroad.

The rationale for cutting off access to the site is the fear of hackers.

[blondeatlast]

2. It's that important;

:kick: