HONOLULU, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- A Hawaii World War II veteran's final ballot won't count because the 93-year-old died before Election Day, his family said.
Frank Tanabe, who served in the Military Intelligence Service during the war, had never missed voting in an election, his daughter Barbara said. Though gravely ill, Tanabe filled out his absentee ballot for the Nov. 6 election and sent it before dying Wednesday at his home, KHON-TV, Honolulu, reported.
Under Hawaii law, that ballot will not count. State law permits early voting for absentees, but stipulates the voter must be alive when polls close for the vote to count.
Lawmakers in the state acknowledge the law may need to be changed, if only for practical reasons.
"Once you've already voted, it's very difficult to fish one ballot back out," Rep. Karl Rhoads said.
