Son of a bitch.

Thanks to 17catherines for bringing this to my attention, via a Salon story.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program is the first port of call for US citizens living overseas (such as myself) who want to vote in US elections. Registration forms, information on the process, that sort of thing; while some of it is available elsewhere in a piecemeal fashion, this is *the* program tasked with ensuring that expat US citizens can vote. Although FVAP is responsible for both civilian and military citizens, it's under the authority of the Department of Defense.

Quoting from the IHT story:

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. (Note: while the Salon story claims the Pentagon refused to explain the block, the IHT story quotes named FVAP and Pentagon sources as describing it as an anti-hacker measure.)

From Salon:

[an anonymous DoD voting official] described the Pentagon as extremely diligent in its efforts to register soldiers stationed overseas -- for instance, this official had been told by the department to personally meet with all of the soldiers in her unit in order to help them register. But the department has ignored its mandate to help overseas civilians who want to vote, the official said.

I don't need a conspiracy theory to make me pissed off about this one. Stopping people from using a service intended for them isn't 'protecting' it, it's degrading it, and this is a damn important service.

(And meanwhile, the machines people actually *vote* on... no, don't get me started.)

Fortunately, I don't seem to be personally affected by the block; I sent off my registration a couple of weeks ago. (Deadline is Oct 2, BTW.) But I'm thoroughly pissed off by this.