America Between War and Elections

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In October 2000, while stationed in San Diego, my absentee ballot arrived from my home state of North Carolina, just weeks before the presidential election. But for my vote to be counted, I needed two witnesses to attest to my filling it out and sign it for verification. I didn't want to bring politics into my unit, so I waited. Days later, terrorists attacked the USS Cole off the coast of Yemen. During election week, my ship sailed to the Persi…