Well, government is moving slowly toward helping citizens outside the United States vote, sort of.

The 2010 Defense Authorization Act includes requirements for states to provide overseas and military voters with online access to voter registration applications and ballot requests. It does not extend the ability for them to vote online.

It's only a small step forward, but better than nothing. Many civilians and military personal are effectively disenfranchised as a result of the difficulty of registering remotely, requesting ballots and returning them on time. This new law is still going to be a scramble for states now required to have systems in place for the 2010 midterm elections.

The nonprofit Overseas Vote Foundation has teamed with a voting technology company to provide a customizable system for states to meet the federal requirements, Government Computer News reports. We call this half-a-step in the right direction. When states get around to providing electronic voting, that will be the answer to this vexing problem.

For more on online voting help:
- see this Government Computer News article