Overseas Americans: What You Need to Know in an Election Year

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Overseas Americans: What You Need to Know in an Election Year
Do you need a notary if you’re voting in New Mexico from China? Why is my election official in California asking me to sign a “secrecy waiver” to vote from France? These are the kinds of questions we answer at Overseas Vote Foundation (OVF), the nonpartisan nonprofit website that helps overseas U.S. citizens exercise their right to vote in federal elections. While federal law grants that right, it doesn’t promise to make it simple! First, you have to remember that it’s an Election Year. That’s easy during presidential campaigns, but do you know who’s running for Congress in your state in 2010? Second, you need to know what forms are required, when they’re due and how you can submit them. Third, you have to know how to vote when you’ve done all of the above according to the rules…and your ballot still doesn’t show up on time. The good news is that the recently passed Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act is intended to shorten and simplify the process. (See “Congress Wants to Help You Vote“) You still need easy access to the forms and state-specific instructions, however, and that’s why we created OVF. Here are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions we hear at our Voter Help Desk. Registering to Vote and Requesting a Ballot •       What is my voting address? Your voting address is your last address in the U.S., no matter where you’re originally from or if you ever intend to return to that state. •       How do I get started? The first step is to look up your state’s election dates. OVF’s Election Official Directory and State-specific Voter Information Directory includes state-by-state election dates and filing deadlines, complete contact information for local election offices, options for sending and receiving voting material and state-level contact information. Then you can move on to the Registration and Ballot Request process. •       What forms do I need? There is only one form but it has four uses. If you are not yet a registered voter, the Registration and Ballot Request form acts as a simultaneous Registration and Ballot Request. If you are already registered, it acts as just the Ballot Request. You can also use it to update your address or change party affiliation. On the OVF website, click on Register to Vote / Request your Ballot to generate the form according to your state’s requirements. •       When should I submit the Registration/Ballot Request form? As early as possible every election year. What’s wrong with today? Submitting Your Voted Ballot •       What elections can I vote in? Federal law gives you the right to vote in federal elections: President/Vice President, Senate, House of Representatives. Your election official may send you a ballot with state offices as well. You are never obligated to vote the entire ballot for it to be counted. •       What else do I need to do? Make sure to sign the form where indicated and mail the original to your election office. •       Can’t I email my ballot? Some states allow you to return your ballot by fax or email. This sounds like a good idea.but if you fax, you may be asked to sign that “secrecy waiver” I mentioned earlier, which relinquishes your right to a secret ballot. This, plus the total absence of security for ballots attached to email, means we recommend you plan to use regular mail if you possibly can. The Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) •       My ballot is late. What do I do? The FWAB is the “emergency” ballot. If you’re registered and don’t receive your ballot by 30 days prior to Election Day, use the FWAB. Our online tools will list the candidates in your district for you. Print it, vote and mail, and you’re done. (If your regular ballot arrives afterward, you should still vote it and send it back to replace your FWAB.) Have a more specific question? Write the OVF Voter Help Desk. If you join OVF’s mailing list, you don’t have to remember any of this! We’ll send Voter Alerts direct to your inbox to remind you of important election dates and instructions for your state and your state only. At OVF, we do all this for one reason: to help American expats exercise their voting rights for as long as they live abroad. It’s worth remembering that not every country extends these rights to overseas citizens and, for others, they “expire” for long-term expats. But, for overseas Americans, our citizenship means more than just having a passport! Vote 2010 – U.S. Congress – Register Now www.overseasvotefoundation.org If you’re coming to France (or for that matter anywhere) you can reserve your hotel here. To rent a car, Bonjour Paris recommends Auto Europe.
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