European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 22, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday. October 22, 1980 the stars and stripes Page 3 Campaign "88 new forms will help overseas voters Washington the slate department is re minding americans living overseas that for the first Lime a new Federal Blank ballot is available for voters whose Absentee ballots have been delayed in the mail. The Federal while in Absentee ballot represents a last recourse for voters who have applied for an Absentee ballot bul have not received it in time to return it by the balloting deadline which is the Day of the election in most states. To use the form a voter writes in the name of either a candidate or political party for each office listed on the Blank ballot. Any voter who has applied for bul not received an Absentee ballot May request a Federal write in ballot from the consular voting officer at any . Embassy or consulate overseas. The ballots also May be Avail Able from some citizens voting groups including re publicans abroad and democrats abroad. Voters who submit the emergency ballot and subsequently receive the regular slate ballot also Tan com plete and return the slate ballot. Local election officials will hold the Federal ballot for counting Only if inc state ballot is not received by the election deadline. However voters should indicate that they previously have submitted a Blank Federal ballot if they also return a regular ballot. The new Federal ballot was authorized by Congress to avoid problems caused in the past by postal delays. A million of the Federal Blank ballots were sen to voting officers attached to each military unit overseas and to All . Embassies and consulates. In 1984, approximately 180,000 service member and family members who attempted to vote were unable to do so because they did t receive their ballots in sufficient time. Overall 2so.ooo americans living abroad were unable to Vole in 1984 because they received their ballots too late. During inc presidential primaries last Spring Federal authorities asked inc courts to order two Stales Penn Sylvania and Idaho to count late arriving ballots from overseas because the Stales had been Laic in sending Absentee ballots  with questions about the new Blank ballot or any other aspect of overseas Absentee voting should Contact the voting officer Al i hair unit or the nearest . Embassy or consulate. William Bartman Bush Dukakis differ in their approach to gis by William j. Bartma Washington Bureau Washington hello says a familiar voice on a Telephone an swering machine. This is vice presi Dent George Bush the Republican nominee for president of the United  the message is for  there s an old saying by o. Henry that goes you can i appreciate Home until you be left it Money til it s spent nor old glory til you see it hanging on a Broomstick on a shanty of a Consul in a foreign town i know thai you the Brave men an women who leave the intimate com forts of Home to face unknown Chal Lenges in strange lands can appreciate i desc words of 0.  Bush and his democratic rival for the White House Massachusetts  Dukakis have provided tapes loan automat cd phone system run Bihe Pentagon designed to increase Mil itary participation in upcoming slate and National elections. On the tape. Bush takes a personal approach while Dukakis runs through a collection of his past defense Stalc minis. The system began in late August and continues to receive an average of 300 Calls a Day about 30 percent of them from overseas. And officials with the Pentagon s Voler assistance program say military participation is up significantly in Vot ing districts around the country. Manhattan for example reports a 100 percent increase. Houston reports a 20 percent increase and Detroit anticipates an increase of More than 30 per cent. Additionally Dukakis Boston base shows a 50 percent jump in Absentee ballot requests with much of that com ing from Greece where his parents were bom. Henry Valentino the defense department s voting assistance chief Al Tribulis the increase to improvements in military voting programs such As the candidate tapes. In addition to presidential contend ers who have made the ballot in at least 40 states the Lane also presents Mes sages from the vice presidential Candi dates and gubernatorial and Senate candidates. Also helping significantly this year Valentino believes is an improvement in the army s voting information pro Gram. The overseas vote has never had much Impact except in War years. Bul the numbers have grown significantly and the voting process has been simplified. According to the latest figures from the Federal voting assistance program California has 640,585overseas voters Texas 565,670 Pennsylvania 369,794 and new Jer sey 176,925. More than half of the overseas voters from those slates arc military personnel and their family members or Federal civilian employees including diplomats. The presidential race also is particularly close in those four key electoral vote  military vote has been known to make a difference in the past. In a local election last year in Marysville Ohio late arriving military Absentee votes elected a candidate to City Council by just one  gov. George Dukmejian s 52,175 Vole margin Over los an Geles mayor Tom Bradley in that stale s1982 gubernatorial race was provided by Absentee ballots with a Large percentage coming from overseas. The voting assistance program Esti mates Mexico and Canada offer the largest number of potential overseas voters about 500,000 each Fol Lowed by West Germany Australia great Britain Israel and saudi Arabia. Serac members asked to heed get ouf fhe vote Coll Washington democratic presidential candidate gov. Michael Dukakis says military pay has fallen further behind civilian wages during the Reagan administration. And in his Campaign message aimed Al service member vice president George Bush the Republican candidate promises to maintain the United Stales overseas commitments. The taped messages accessible from around the world via a Federal voting information system Fol Low the spirit of the candidates daily Campaign themes. Both men also stress patriotism an area in which Bush has tried to put Dukakis on the defensive. Recalling his service during the korean conflict Dukakis remembers the Pride i fell being an american Soldier on duly for America in a land where the hunger for democracy was beginning to grow and in which the strength of America had been Felt on Freedom s  bul Dukakis main thrust was aggressive we have to keep Faith with our service personnel by giving them fair pay and dec Cal benefits and Good health care for themselves and for their families. And today military pay is further behind Compa Rable civilian wages than it was when this admits ration took  Dukakis says the nation needs a president who will invest our defense dollars in the fiber and the muscle of our National  we need a new president who will give us a Dollar s Worth of Security for a Dollar spent. A president who will find solutions and not scape goats. A president who will work with the Congress for stable and sensible defense Buff its that will put our priorities where our needs Are. As president i am going to make our conventional forces one of our top military  Bush in his personalized message cells military personnel that like you i answered my country s Call and left Home to serve in the . Navy. Unlike you the nation at the Lime of my service was in the midst of War. It s True that no one Hales War More than a Soldier for no one else comes in closer Contact with  Bush says that while he lived through a War you though serving in time of peace face its possibility every Day. You know the seeds of War Are every where waiting to grow in open conflict that s Why your Job maintaining world peace taped messages accessible from around the world. Follow the spirit of the candidates themes. Protecting our allies and keeping secure our nation Al interest is so important. My Mission As president is 10 see we do not Back away from our commitments overseas Hal we sup port our allies that we maintain our own Security and Hal we not forget our soldiers who Salute the Flag from a foreign  Bush and Dukakis were not the Only presidential candidates to deliver a personalized message to the troops. New Alliance party candidate Leonara Fulani the first woman and first Black Ever to be on the ballot m All 50 slates the District of Columbia and Guam also personalized her message. But it was far from Bush s positive patriotic approach. I am deeply concerned that More and More of our Young men and women people of color from the ghettos and Barrios of our inner cities As Well a the Young people of the Midwest and the South  family farms by Bankers and businessmen Are being forced into the military because they see no other Opportunity to earn a living Fulani said. Without jobs and Wilhour Job training entering the Mili tary becomes a matter of necessity Ana not a Choice for far too Many. Most of the men who died in Vietnam and those who came Home Loo wounded in body mind and spirit Ever to recover were the children of the poor they had no Choice but logo to  called forthe coca lion of jobs and Job train ing that will give every you no american a full Range of alternatives from which to choose so Hal they Are not drafted into the military by economic Desperak Ron Paul the libertarian party candidate called for the adoption of a non interventionist foreign policy and attacked Bush and Dukakis for promoting a leftward direction by advocating More government programs More spending More inflation never addressing the Subj cd of the deficit never addressing the subject  policy never addressing the subject of the nil Tessness of our inter Nal Revenue serv ice never address no the subject of a foreign policy that requires us to spend 70 percent of our military budget  Paul said the nation h entering a phase where everyone recognizes Hal we Are  he said there is no More Money in the Treasury the Treasury is bankrupt. And the people know that their Standard of living has gone Down in Spile of the Many govern ment statistics that try to refute  persons interested in hearing the full text of the Eandi Dales messages can Telephone Auto on 285 4333 or . Civilian 202-504-4333. Rotary dial Alovon is 221 -6100. William Bartman