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POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS, which in Virginia seem as perennial as pine, drive the average citizen to distraction and, being unbearable, would compel his surrender if there were anyone to accept it. But amid this tidal folderol, politicians looking for an edge sometimes put forth truly good ideas. In this department, state Sen. Ken Cuccinelli, who's running for attorney general, appears gifted.

In July, Mr. Cuccinelli virtually bugled the General Assembly into a special session to fix legislation that, under a new U.S. Supreme Court ruling, might have precluded the prosecution of drug dealers and drunk drivers--clearly a threat to public safety. Now the Fairfax Republican is pressing the legislature, when it convenes, to ensure that Virginia service members are able to vote.

For the sorry fact is that while Virginians on the front lines are spreading democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq, they're not getting much democracy spread to them.

The state's failure to guarantee the franchise to active-duty military members surfaced in the last presidential election, when the McCain-Palin campaign sued to have the late-arriving ballots of soldiers counted. Those ballots were late arriving because they were late being sent. Federal agencies recommend that local registrars mail the ballots to service members posted in foreign countries at least 45 days before an election. McCain-Palin alleged that many registrars violated that time frame. A judge agreed. But the State Board of Elections isn't tripping over itself to fix this injustice: The Board--now crosswise with the U.S. Department of Justice, which replaced McCain-Palin as the plaintiff--argues that it is not legally obliged to mail military absentee ballots in time for them to be returned and counted.

So those who risk taking a bullet for the United States of America can't be assured of a timely ballot to elect her leaders? Perhaps the Democratic chairman of the State Board of Elections, Jean Cunningham, could explain this to the men and women in the prosthetic ward at Walter Reed. Let's hope YouTube is there.

Mr. Cuccinelli wants a law requiring registrars "to keep to strict timetables for the mailing and processing of active-duty military absentee ballots." Funny. Just as the best programming on PBS is during its fundraising season, the best political ideas often come during campaigns. Maybe citizens should bite the bullet and keep 'em stumping.