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Americans abroad can still vote using a federal write-in absentee ballot

by Tina Kells | November 4, 2008 at 09:46 am

205 views | 0 Recommendations | 4 comments

If you are an American citizen living abroad who has not yet received your absentee ballot by mail, or who was unable to register to vote in your home state prior to the election, you can still cast a vote using a little known program called the federal write-in absentee ballot.

This program was designed to ensure that Americans serving overseas, or people who are living abroad, are able to vote even if they miss deadlines in their home state or do not receive their absentee ballot in the mail on time.

For more information and overseas voter FAQs, including a step-by-step voting write-in absentee ballot download, visit the Vote from Abroad website.

Voters who hadn't received an absentee ballot on time can still use a voting method of last resort called the federal write-in absentee ballot, said Carolyn Farquhar, who co-chairs the Ottawa chapter of Democrats Abroad.

The ballot can be downloaded online, printed and faxed off, and will be counted as a provisional ballot in the state named by the voter, Farquhar said.

She added that it can be challenged by scrutineers from the other party, but most provisional ballots do end up getting counted.

According to the Federal Voting Assistance Program, which works on behalf of the secretary of defence to help military and overseas citizens vote, the back-up federal write-in absentee ballot may only be used by a voter if they did not receive a ballot on time.

The election has brought a lot of eligible voters out of the woodwork, but not all of them are familiar with the system, Farquhar said.

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janetesommer

at 11:03 on November 4th, 2008

I shot these photos of my absentee ballot when Ohio became, yet again, a focal point in the Presidential Election. Partly because, 4 years ago, I was denied the right to take pictures at the polling place I was voting at. Justice often comes in strange ways.

janetesommer has contributed a photo to this story.

fnarf999

at 11:43 on November 4th, 2008

So, I'm confused. This story is about a "federal write-in absentee ballot", but my photo is not of one of those. It's of my King County, WA absentee ballot.

Tina Kells

at 12:50 on November 4th, 2008

Including absentee votes of all kinds is good since the article makes reference to the fact that some people have not yet received their absentee ballots by mail, in which case this is the only option they have left.