All posts tagged absentee ballot

Absentee voting fix not enough — need comprehenive reform

by waybeyondthebeltway on June 13, 2009 in Americans Abroad with No comments

Absentee voting fix not enough, advocates say – Army News, news from Iraq, – Army Times

A bill to improve overseas voting passed the House Administration Committee, but voting rights advocates say a more comprehensive fix is required.

According to the Army Times, the Military Voting Protection Act, HR 2393 introduced by Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) would establish an express mail collection system for sending cast ballots back to state election officials. The bill also:

  • establishes a tracking system that would allow service members to find out whether their ballot had been delivered
  • requires the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) to set a deadline for receiving absentee ballots of noon on the fourth day before federal elections, beginning with the November 2010 elections — if necessary, the deadline could be set earlier
  • makes FVAP officials responsible for collecting ballots and delivering them to the states via express mail
  • requires FVAP to submit a report to Congress after each general election on the effectiveness of the system

Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat, president of the Overseas Vote Foundation notes that sending the ballot back to the US is the last step in the absentee voting process and that:

The irresistible urge to focus on the last step of the process, the step that is held hostage by all others that precede it, is an unfortunate distraction if it is the only measure taken in the face of other very real remaining challenges. Speeding the return of the voted ballot won’t help much if the voter’s request for the ballot is late and if is/her ballot does not show up in time to be cast.

A comprehensive approach is necessary. Please contact your state’s Congressional delegation and make your voice heard on thios critical issue.

McCain and Obama Seek Expat Israel Votes

by waybeyondthebeltway on October 18, 2008 in Americans Abroad with 1 Comment

Bloomberg.com reports that the McCain and Obama campaigns’ battle for Florida has opened a front in Israel.

According to Overseas Vote Foundation (“OVF”), voter participation has grown in Israel and American citizens living there are really engaged in this election. Supporters of both candidates are attempting to win the votes of the estimated 120,000 American citizens in Israel that are eligible to vote, with a particular emphasis being placed on voters from swing states, especially Florida.

There’s still time to get your ballot in. If you are registered but haven’t received a ballot, use OVF’s “Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot” tool and return it to your state using the Express Your Vote ballot return program which is underway now. The program is provided by Overseas Vote Foundation and supported by FedEx in 89 countries.  It was well researched with all states prior to launch, and voters can see on the front page www.overseasvotefoundation.org/expressyourvote the list of states that are participating is extensive. (The only state that does not accept express mail ballots is Alabama.)

With Express Your Vote, voters are instructed to staple one copy of the Air Waybill to the ballot envelope – it functions as the postmark.  This is known and accepted by all participating states.  The program offers highly-discounted rates from Canada, Latin American, Europe and the Middle East.  Free shipping is available from 14 Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.

These services at these rates, including in many countries, at-your-doorstep-pick-up are not usually available to individuals overseas.

Voters can track their ballots through Express Your Vote and will receive an automatic confirmation of delivery.

Please note: It is very important that all overseas Americans groups support and communicate about Express Your Vote to their member voters.  Interest and use of the program will send a very strong message to all express courier companies that this is a good thing to do – to support U.S. overseas voters!  Lack of use will send the message that is not needed or appreciated and will affect future willingness on the part of FedEx and other courier companies to invest in similar actions in future elections.

New Ballot Tool for Overseas and Military Voters

by waybeyondthebeltway on September 17, 2008 in Americans Abroad with 1 Comment

“Democracy at a Distance: A Summit to Make Voting Work for Military and Overseas Voters”,convened by the Pew Center on the States, in collaboration with the JEHT Foundation, took place in Washington earlier this week. Notably, a new bipartisan Tarrance/Lake poll was released at the summit. The poll:

… found 96% of Americans believe it’s important that these voters [Military and overseas voters] get the chance to participate and vote in U.S. elections.  The poll results also show that 81% of Americans favor creating a uniform national set of rules for military and overseas voters.

Also at the summit, the Overseas Vote Foundation launched “two new balloting solutions designed to address the weakest points in the overseas and military voting process: ballot delivery to the voter and “voted” ballot return to election officials.”

The Express Your Vote program with FedEx essentially allows Americans abroad (in 89 countries) to send their ballots home via FedEx for free or at steep discounts. In Sweden, where I live, the cost is $23.50. Naturally, going through FedEx gives voters confidence that their ballots will arrive in a timely fashion. More than that though, using FedEx, voters can track their ballot and see when it arrives.

OVF also launched a new online Vote-Print-Mail Ballot System, a tool developed with support from The Pew Charitable Trusts that allows voters to complete the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) more easily and with fewer errors.  As many may already know, the FWAB is the form used when one has requested an absentee ballot but has not yet received it.  The Vote-Print-Mail Ballot System is an immediate solution for  voters whose ballots are late or lost and transforms the otherwise cryptic FWAB into a user-friendly online process. What’s more, the system automatically matches zip codes to voting districts and generates federal candidate lists. Voters simply select their candidates and then download, print, sign and send the completed FWAB.

It is hoped that these new tools will help to increase the number of ballots returned from abroad, reduce the rejection rate and boost the impact of overseas and military voting this fall.
UPDATE: The inimiatble Brian Knowlton covers the story in the International Herald Tribune.

Can you vote? Are you registered?

by waybeyondthebeltway on September 1, 2008 in Americans Abroad with No comments

Are you registered to vote in the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election? If not, you can do so in about 5 minutes through the Overseas Vote Foundation. Not sure whether you can vote? Check out canivote.org.

What’s more, the U.S. Government’s Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) has greatly simplified it’s website.

House Hearing on Overseas Voting

by waybeyondthebeltway on April 16, 2008 in Americans Abroad, Voting with No comments

The House Committee on House Administration held a hearing on Tuesday on “Military and Overseas Voting: Problems and Progress in Ensuring the Vote.” Click here to view a webcast of the hearing.

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