Election chiefs tout military voting changes

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The top election officials in four Midwestern states are hailing changes in federal election rules that will allow military members overseas to receive ballots electronically.

The National Defense Authorization Act, approved by Congress in October, allows troops to return their ballots through expedited mail service at no charge. It also gives members of the military a way to verify that their ballots have been received back home.

Robin Carnahan of Missouri, Ron Thornburgh of Kansas, Michael Mauro of Iowa and John Gale of Nebraska spoke at the National World War I Memorial in Kansas City. The officials -- two Republicans and two Democrats -- used the 68th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor bombing to tout the changes, which will be in effect for the 2010 elections.