Absentee Voting For The 2004 U.S. Presidential Election
By Jon Sievert
© 2004 Jon Sievert
November's U.S. Presidential election is shaping up as the most passionate and volatile in memory. Candidates from both major parties are already in full campaign mode months before the nominating conventions, and pundits are predicting a record turnout at the voting booth. With poll's indicating that 2004 election will be very close, overseas absentee voting may well provide the deciding margin just as it arguably did in 2000.
Do you want to vote, but don't know how to apply for an absentee ballot, or if you're even eligible? You can find all the answers, along with links to the form and instructions for applying, at www.absentees.org, a web site run by Absentee Voter Assistance, a non-partisan organization based in San Miguel de Allende that's dedicated to helping Americans living in Mexico negotiate the process of requesting a ballot.
In most cases, you can register to vote no matter how long you've lived overseas, even if you have no remaining connection to a State. When you apply for an absentee ballot from the County and State where you last resided, you are automatically re-registered. Filling out the application form is a fairly straightforward process using instructions specific to your State.
Links to the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) web site allow you to download the Online Federal Post Card Application and State-by-State Instructions in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. Once opened in Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can fill out the application online and print it out, or you can print it blank and fill it in by hand. If you choose to fill it in by hand, take your time, print very legibly, and double check your work. If you make a mistake, start over with a new form. Country registrars who process the applications are quick to reject those that are illegible, incomplete, unsigned, or otherwise unacceptable.
Note that this specific form may be used to request an absentee ballot only if you live outside the United States. Therefore, it you want the acknowledgement card and ballot sent to the U.S. address of a private mail service that forwards your mail to Mexico, the State Department recommends that you put your actual Mexican address in the Item 7 "Remarks" box, to show that you actually are a foreign resident.
Once the form is completed, mail the application to the elections office of the county where you are applying. State instructions not only specify what information is required, but also provide the address to send the application. Many states allow faxing of voting materials. If yours does, the state instructions give fax numbers and directions. If all goes well, you will receive your ballot a few weeks before the election.
You can also obtain the federal post card application from the nearest U.S. Consular office, which may also have the voting assistance guide book where state-by-state instructions are provided. If not, you'll need to go online for the instructions.
In any case, if voting is important to you, don't wait to request your ballot. Indications are that absentee balloting by overseas Americans throughout the world will rise sharply this year. Apply now, and make sure your vote is heard.
Referenced Links:
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State Instructions & Form
- ZIP Code look-up
- Primary Dates for Each State
- Federal Voting Assistance Program
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VoteSmart Candidate Info
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State Tax Implications
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State Election Official Websites
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