If You Know Anyone Overseas Who Plans to Vote . .

| September 26, 2012

. . . you might want to tell them to check directly with their state of residence regarding absentee voting deadlines.  Or you might offer to check for them, if they’re somewhere that has poor Internet connectivity.

Why?  Apparently the Federal Voter Assistance Program site, www.fvap.gov, doesn’t always exactly get things right.

That was probably an isolated instance of someone having a brain cramp. But I’d still recommend checking directly with the state to be sure.

Category: 2012 election

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Tony

Already sent my application to my state board of elections. I should be good to go.

Mike Smith

Great post! I have posted your comment on my facebook wall. I admire your hard work and tenacity. Keep it up, good sir! From a fan.

Common Sense

My son is in Texas, not overseas, but Colorado offers absentee ballots via email and he got his last week. You have to print it, fill it out and sign it, then scan it and turn it into a pdf to email back.

SFC Holland

I received my ballot already and mailed it to Texas three days ago, mission complete. Some soldiers have had problems with other counties, and not being able to print their ballots, but I had no issues. I will tell you that it took three months for the process, as I had to contact Texas, wait for verification by snail mail, send a letter back to them, then get e-mail notification to print my ballot, and send it all back to them. We started pushing voter registration in July though which gave everyone who really wanted to participate plenty of time to do so.

One thing I have heard repeatedly from soldiers is that they don’t want to vote becaue they think their vote doesn’t matter. Because of the electoral college and the way votes are distributed, if soldiers are in a heavy blue or red state they really don’t count. The representative government was to take our wishes to Washington because it was impossible for everyone to get to the Capitol for voting. Today, with the interwebs, we can all have a voice no matter where we are, and it isn’t inconceivable to have a popular vote where every single voter’s voice matters. It won’t happen because that’s a power shift, and it will give power back to the people, but I’d like my government to be more representative of us. I don’t think it is right now.