Overseas Vote Foundation: It's not too late to vote

Election time is almost here and many young travelers are scrambling to cast their absentee ballots.  However, some travelers living abroad may feel as though they cannot vote because they either did not receive their ballots or they procrastinated until the last minute.  For those young travelers who did not cast their votes yet there is still a chance for your voice to be heard during this election.

Young travelers can now vote using the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot.  The recently passed MOVE Act requires all states to accept Federal Write-in Absentee Ballots for all federal elections.  Therefore, young travelers who registered to vote in the 2010 Election can now fill out the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballots and have their votes counted for this election.

For those young travelers who do not know how to access the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballots, the Overseas Vote Foundation has everything voters need to make the process easier.  The steps are simple:

1. Go to one of the Overseas Vote Foundation’s websites and click on the “Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot” link.
   1. Millennial voters—those under 30 years of age—should visit the Youth Vote Overseas website.
   2. Uniformed service members in the armed forces should visit the Military Voter Services website.
   3. All other overseas voters should visit the Overseas Vote Foundation website.
2. Choose the home state and fill-out the check list for Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot eligibility.
3. Fill out the form and prepare to vote!

The Overseas Vote Foundation, and its partner websites, makes it easy for young travelers to vote in the 2010 Election.  Young travelers who need more information about the candidates can look up each individual candidate on the Candidate Finder.  The website is non-partisan, so young voters can find accurate information about each candidate without bias.

There are many ways in which young voters can submit their ballots, but the Overseas Vote Foundation recommends mailing the ballots.  For those voters who are concerned about ballots arriving late, the Overseas Vote Foundation encourages voters to use the Express Your Vote services offered by FedEx Express.  The Overseas Vote Foundation is offering special delivery rates for voters in 94 countries. 

Young voters interested in using this service should go online to the Express Your Vote site and create the Air Way Bill in a few steps.  After using these steps, young voters can submit their ballots at the nearest FedEx drop-off location or arrange for pick-up.

Young voters can also fax or email their ballots, but the Overseas Vote Foundation warns that these processes may result in a few difficulties such as a loss of privacy or altered votes.  Emails can be intercepted and votes can be changed if the voter decides to submit his/her ballot via email.  Voters who decide to fax may be required by their home states to sign a waiver giving up the right to privacy of the faxed ballot.

The 2010 Election is a very important election for all Americans, especially those living and/or serving abroad.  Due to the MOVE Act, there is special focus on Americans living abroad in order to judge the effectiveness of the legislation. 

It is not too late to vote!  Visit Overseas Vote Foundation, Youth Vote Overseas, or Military Voter Services for more information.