Blunt protects military votes

To the editor:

As a member of our military recently back from overseas, I believe Secretary of State Matt Blunt has done a great thing by trying to ensure that our overseas military personnel get their votes counted. He made changes in election rules that allow them to vote by e-mail or fax. For this, he is being attacked in the liberal media. The attack is a result of them not wanting a traditionally Republican voting group to have its votes counted. Then they attack him for following the law and fighting to prevent early voting in St. Louis, a Democratic stronghold. I don't understand how they can protest making it easier for our military overseas fighting for our freedom to vote while trying to make it easier for those in St. Louis City to vote.

Blunt has taken the necessary steps to make sure the integrity of the election process is preserved while allowing these votes to be counted. The military personnel must place a portion of their Social Security number on the ballot. The signatures are verified, and the votes will be counted by a bipartisan election team.

Perhaps Blunt's realization of the problems the military has voting comes from his experience as a lieutenant commander in the Navy and his experience overseas during Operation Enduring Freedom.

We are fortunate to have a secretary of state who battles attempts to influence the election process for political reasons. I know that if I am overseas again, my vote will be counted.

RYAN MURPHY, Jackson