Voting From Abroad

If you’re going to be outside the U.S. in early November and haven’t already made arrangements to vote, I’d like to recommend VoteFromAbroad.org.

This non-profit, non-partisan group has a great web site, from which you can request a special Federal Post Card absentee ballot.

Their easy-to-use site helps you fill-in an FPCA request form and email it to your local voter registrar – it’s very easy and clear.

Once accepted by your registrar, your ballot will be emailed to you in late September. Depending on your state, you may be able to request the ballot be delivered by fax or by online download. You print it, mark the ballot and sign it, and then mail it back to the U.S. Couldn’t be easier.

Note that once you’ve voted using an absentee ballot, you may have to take special measures to be able to vote again in person if/when you return to the U.S. For example, you may have to visit your voter registrar’s office in person and request that your status be changed back to that of a local voter. If you have to do this, be sure to get some documentation attesting to the change from the registrar’s office – you can show it at your local polling place when you vote next, just in case the “system” doesn’t get the message.

Can overseas voters make a difference? You bet they can! According to the Department of Defense, there are over 3 million voting-age Americans overseas.