WASHINGTON — A law making absentee ballots more accessible to military personnel serving overseas led troops to vote at a higher rate than the general population in last year’s midterm elections, according to a new report. Overall, 46 percent of the military cast ballots, a 21 percent increase from the 2006 midterms and slightly higher than the 45.5 percent of the general population, according to the Federal Voting Assistance Program. Voter registration last year among service members also was higher than that of the general public; 65 percent of Americans were registered to vote in 2010, compared with 77 percent of troops. The report’s authors credited Congress for passing legislation in 2009 that forced states to mail absentee ballots 45 days before Election Day to Americans who want to vote from abroad. The Washington Post
