For anyone who would like to register to vote in the USA or to submit an absentee ballot, you can use the following website to do so.

Also, FED EX is offering a special rate for mailing your registration and/or ballots from abroad - $23 US dollars from Italy - for guaranteed one day delivery. The top of this webpage will direct you to the FED EX material.



https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/tell-a-friend

Here's the Federal Voting Assistance Program site:
www.fvap.gov

I just looked at the FedEx locations in Italy, they are very limited...mostly in the north.

I've used Italian poste for letters to/from the US with no problem. Usually takes less than a week.

You go onto the FED EX voters special site and arrange for them to pick up your envelope at your house! No worries that there are no FED EX offices close to you - they arrange to come to you.

And, yes, you can mail your ballot regular mail but if you want to assure it arrives in one day - or perhaps you have two or more friends who want to join in sending the ballots - 12 Euro with FED EX, and the convenice of them picking it up from your home, is quite a nice option.

A fellow American and parent at my son's school said he was told it was too late to register to vote abroad. I am having my mom, who receives my absentee ballot at home in the U.S., send me the ballot, but when was the deadline? I will spend any amount to send it back to my mom and have her leave it at our polling place the official voting day, but I would like to change my registration for next time.

quote:

but when was the deadline?

It varies by state. See www.fvap.gov .

It is not too late to register. Go to the American Democrats Abroad website and sign up (free). This is the link they provide for registration:
http://www.votefromabroad.org/

If your ballot doesn't arrive, you can still vote in the upcoming election Nov. 4, 2008! Generate a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot at Overseas Vote Foundation or Youth Vote Overseas. The OVF FWAB tool will list the candidates running for federal office in your voting district. Then just print it out, sign the accompanying form, put your voted ballot in an extra security envelope, and then send it all off in a new envelope addressed to your local election office. OVF provides you with the address to send it to.

OVF also offers Express Your Vote whereby you can FedEx your ballot from Italy at a reduced rate. You must fill out the waybill for this special service for US voters at the OVF website. Express Your Vote

Overseas Vote Foundation is a one stop resource that includes a voter help desk, charts with deadline information for overseas voter registration and ballot return, options for returning ballots,etc.
Overseas Vote Foundation

It's still not too late to register/request a ballot in some states!

Just remember, you can only use the FWIB if you have already registered to vote, have already requested an absentee ballot, and it's 2 weeks or less till election.

Thanks Bill for pointing this out! The OVF -FWAB tool won't even let you start the program until you've affirmed that you have registered to vote/requested a ballot.

I've posted my message on two different threads. I didn't know how to delete it from this one, but I'm sure we're not supposed to post the same message twice. Sorry, I'm new to Expat Talk.