Karen, re Absentee Ballots : here is the process :
General Absentee Ballot Registration :
fvap.gov
To Vote Absentee, Start By Telling Us Who You Are
Uniformed Service Member
Overseas Citizen
For active-duty members of the Armed Forces, Merchant Marine, Public Health Service, NOAA, and their family members.
Get Started
For United States citizens who are living outside the U.S. for work, school or other reasons.
Get Started
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From the US Consullate in Mumbai, India, where I live :
mumbai.usconsulate.gov
Citizens residing outside the U.S. who have not yet submitted a registration and ballot request (FPCA) for the 2010 calendar year should do so as soon as possible in order to participate in primary and general elections.
The following is the basic absentee voting process:
Complete an application form (see below) and send it to local election officials in the U.S.
The local official approves your request or contacts you for further information
The local official sends you an absentee ballot
You vote the ballot and send it back in time to meet your state's deadline
The official U.S. Government website for overseas absentee voting assistance is the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at fvap.gov. It has a wealth of information about absentee voting, including the downloadable absentee ballot application, state-specific instructions for completing the form, links to state and local officials, and a downloadable emergency ballot.
Each state has different voting procedures. Information about your state's deadlines to register and vote and a calendar of election dates is available here.
States sometimes make last-minute changes. There may be late changes to your state's voting calendar, procedures or deadlines. When these occur, the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) will issue a News Release.
Emergency ballots: If the ballot receipt deadline for the general election is approaching, and you have not yet received the blank ballot from local officials, you can download an emergency ballot, write in the names of the candidates and the offices for which they are running, and send it back in time to meet your state's ballot receipt deadline. The emergency ballot (SF-186, Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, or FWAB) is available here.
Mail delivery to the U.S.: The U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai will send voting materials to the U.S. provided postage is pre-paid for U.S. domestic delivery. Please be advised that delivery can take up to six weeks and we are unable to guarantee that your voting materials will reach your state by the official deadline. You may choose to use a courier service or international post, or consult your state's information at www.fvap.gov to see if ballots are accepted by fax or email. |
