Absentee voting
 

though im scheduled to come back to the states oct. 30, just in case, can anyone give an idea of how to go about voting if i am unable to get back to the states before election day?

Depends on where you live. If you live here in Florida, write down your choices on an index card. Send it into the air somewhere near the middle of the state attached to a helium filled balloon. It will have as much chance of getting counted as any other votes.

I'm not quite as jaded as Patrick (tho I can see why he would be as Floridian) but he's certainly right, how to go about it depends on which state you live in. In VA you can download the application off the net or get one from the local Voter Registration office.

You can get the info here:

http://www.fvap.gov/links/statelinks.html

Write to the board of elections where you are registered and request an absentee ballot. Those I have seen all contain instructions on how to file them.

will the american embassy in Rome or Paris have facilities?

just send the ballot in regular mail or registered?

I'm going to be away on Election Day. In NJ you send a form to the respective clerk for your county and they send you an absentee ballot.

Every state is different and has different procedures, even with national elections. I'd suggest you either do a google search for something like "absentee ballot new york" or contact your states board of elections.

Many folks in Florida who are from up North vote twice: once in thier summer state and once in thier winter home.

You cannot vote at U.S. consulates or embassies. You must send in the fvap application (see the link from obxgirl). The absentee ballot will be mailed to you and upon completion you mail it back.

LOL, Patrick :)

My son asked for and recently received his absentee ballot from the US..he is in Japan.
I think it might be too late, as they send more than one bit of papers and they do it way in advance..
Write a note to you State board of elections. Or have a family member do the asking for you. (in this family, that would be Me)

Request the absentee ballot as soon as possible. States have different laws, and I know when we were in WA the ballot had to be back by election day. Some states have a leeway with absentee ballots, but some do not. I know for the 2000 election my dh was over in the Persian Gulf on a ship and our state would not send the ballot out til 3 weeks before the election. Needless to say he did not even receive his ballot til after the election, and so even though he filled it out and sent it back, his vote did not count. So call and ask and see if they can send a ballot out early to you.

Well, Degas, I guess that explains the extraordinary amount of airline traffic on election day into and out of Florida...or do those snowbirds vote by absentee ballot as well???

If you want the complete answer and the one that matters to YOU, call your County Clerk as a start and ask them how to proceed before wasting your time surfing the web, writing to elections boards, or worrying about embassies and consulates.

I wish I thought Patrick WERE "jaded" on this issue but, unfortunately for the country we live in, it seems all too true and perhaps destined to happen yet again!

Wildfire,

Are you living abroad? Try contacting your local Democrats/ Republicans (respectively) abroad chapter. They will help!

sorry to repeat what has already been said, but each state has different requirements. The best place to start is with your Town Clerk or City Board of Elections where you are registered to vote. Or Secretary of State's Office. Again, many states have different names for the government body that oversees the voting.
If you are worried about not voting request an absentee ballot (again procedures vary ) and THEN VOTE BEFORE YOU LEAVE. I already have an absentee ballot for my home state primary and will also be sent a ballot for the general election. What differs on this one is it asks for the date that the ballot was mailed and where. I don't remember that in the past (I've voted absentee a lot!)
Good luck and start phoning around

I'm due to return to the US from France on October 31 after a 2-week trip. I live in Florida and have already requested (from the Elections Dept.)an application (received it right away)to receive a ballot. They told me the ballot would be sent about 2 weeks before the election, and has to be received back by 7:00 P.M election day.
I wanted this in case of a delay in getting back. And the mail-in convenience seems good! However, I'm afraid if I mail it, they might not get it in time, so guess I'll just take it to my precinct anyway. If I'm delayed, think I'll tell my daughter to forge my signature and send it in!

The plus side of being away before the elections is getting away from American TV and all the B***S*** commercials - from BOTH candidates! I'm already tired of the whole thing.

As already said every state has different rules. But the procedures are usually pretty straightforward - just apply with the local registrar of voters or whatever it is called in your county.

(In California we can apply for "permanent" absentee status. I get my official ballot in the mail about 3 or 4 weeks before election day and send it back in right away. I haven't voted in a polling station in probably 4 or 5 years. More and more, absentee voting is encouraged because of the cost of maintaining so many small polling stations. in my area, about 25% of the polling places have been eliminated due to so amny folks voting absentee.)

If you're only traveling overseas during that period, but not actually living overseas, you should visit or call your local registrar's office for instructions. Many states have early voting, but it works differently in each place.

You're still in time; we at Democrats Abroad are still doing voter reg activities at least through September.


best regards,
Deirdré Straughan

http://www.straughan.com

Degas,
I assume you picked up on this issue because of the Daily News article from a few days ago. If I recall, the Daily News found less than 1,500 voters who cast dual ballots.

I find it ironic that most of the voters in question were registered Democrats. The solution of course to problems like this is national, rather than state based, voter registration. But, we all know that the Republicans have ideologically been pushing for less Federal Government and more in the hands of local and state government.

Remember the old adage, be careful what you wish for.....

degas,
Are you suggesting there might be voting irregularities in Florida???

bardo, lots of hanging chad. ((a)) ((b))

Voting iregularities in Florida?? Bite your tongue!

The state GOP sent out brochures to their voters telling them to use absentee ballots! But they have opposed a paper trail for black box voting machines. Glenda Hood is PNG in some circles but Jebbie loves her cause she gets rid of all those nasties who might toss him and his bro out!

I am happy that I have at least a legitimate reason for using an absentee..now if it doesn't end up in Lake Ockochobee I'll be happy!