Voting as a student abroad in the U.S. presidential election

By Alice Adams

Living abroad means leaving behind many things; among them, family and friends, pet dogs and cats, favorite grocery stores, and air conditioning. For many U.S. residents, though, one thing follows us wherever we go: politics.

The eyes of many Americans are glued to the news, with others staying up all night to catch the debate. It’s no secret that American politics are divided right now, and some might say the individual voice matters more than ever. That’s why it’s important to make study-abroad students aware of the voting process; living in a different country does not make a U.S. citizen any less of a patriot, and it does not mean they no longer have a say in the direction of the country’s government.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to give step-by-step information for voting by your state in any form shorter than a manual. The nature of voting in the U.S. is that most states, and even some counties within those states, have different deadlines and processes for voting as an expat.

But here, in one post, is a collection of tips and resources for voting as an absentee.

Tip: Know your state’s process and deadlines

All states have different due dates regarding ballot requests and receptions; any student’s first step in mailing in their ballot should be to research their state and familiarize themselves with the deadlines to ensure they get their vote in on time. International mailing, if required, can be unpredictable – it’s best to get on the process as soon as possible.

• Most states require the application for a ballot to be in a week or two before the election, but it’s a good idea to request the ballot even further in advance to ensure it’s in by the ballot deadline.

• Certain states require the ballot to be in by a certain time on election day, while others only require that it be postmarked by election day and received a certain amount of days after.
• Certain states now receive scans/faxes of ballots to eliminate the mailing time. Check on whether your state does, and make sure you check in with enough time to spare in case the answer is no.

Resource: VoteFromAbroad.Org

Visit students.votefromabroad.org and follow the prompts to learn about your state’s voting practices and deadlines.

Resource: Marist Italy Office

Stop into the program’s office to take a look at a full manual of every state’s voting practices. The manual, as well as other resources, can be found in Brad’s office off the living room.

Tip: Make sure your voter registration is current, and register if you haven’t.

Of course, you’ll need to be registered to vote to request a ballot.

The “Can I Vote” page on the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) website is a helpful resource to check your voting status and register if you haven’t.

If you’re unsure of your registration status, the “Voter Registration Status” page can tell you; if you need to make changes to your registration, you can do so through this page, too.

If you aren’t registered, follow the “Register to Vote” page on the same link.

Each of these pages will take you to your state’s respective pages on registration status, since registration, like voting, varies from state to state.

Registering to vote will most likely require a driver’s license, state ID, or other form of documentation if you don’t possess either of these.

Resource: Info sessions in Florence

Through the months of September and October, VoteFromAbroad.Org – an organization established to assist absentee voters in U.S. elections – will hold office hours twice a week. The times and locations are as follows:

Tuesdays, 3:30-5:30 PM, Shake Café, Via Cavour 67/69r

Thursdays, 6-8 PM, Caffé Letterario, Le Murate

Additional date: October 9, 9 AM – 12 PM, Mama’s Bakery, Via della Chiesa

Tip:

If mailing your ballot sounds unreliable, you can take a fifteen minute walk from the Marist Italy office and drop off your ballot at the US Consulate.

Let’s make our votes count!

Image courtesy of VoteFromAbroad.org.