By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – Governor Riley says he wants to make sure Alabama military personnel get to vote in the upcoming presidential election. Riley has launched Operation Grateful Heart. The plan will use the Department of Defense, the National Guard and Reserves and the U-S Postal Service to help deployed service members and their families overseas to cast their votes. Riley is encouraging troops to apply early for written ballots. He's also asked postal officials to send voting materials to and from military personnel overseas by way of express mail. Requests for absentee ballots must be postmarked by October 15th and the ballots have to be returned by November First. Attorney General Troy King issued an advisory opinion last week that stated deployed troops could not use an Internet-based system to obtain absentee ballots.