by Hope Bradberry

 

Register to Vote—August 31 Deadline

The first step in the voting from abroad process for elections in the United States is to register to vote by filling out the Federal Postcard Application (FPCA). It is easily completed via www.votefromabroad.org. When you register to vote, you are also requesting your ballot for the calendar year. You do not need to request your ballot separately.

 

Request your Ballot—September 15 Deadline

If you are already registered to vote, you should request your ballot for each calendar year in which you wish to vote by filling out the FPCA at votefromabroad.org.

After you have submitted your FPCA either to register to vote or to request your ballot, reach out to your Local Election Official (LEO) within two weeks to ensure that your FPCA was processed and that there are no problems with your registration. VoteFromAbroad will provide you with your LEO’s contact information after you complete the registration or ballot request process, or you can find their contact information here: https://www.votefromabroad.org/states. This should be a priority. Please be in touch.

 

Receive your Ballot and Fill it Out—Received via email September 19

Your ballot will be sent to you 45 days prior to the election. If you have requested your ballot electronically, which we strongly recommend, you will receive it on September 19. If you have not received your ballot by September 25, first check your spam filter and secondary inboxes; if it has not arrived, reach out to your LEO to double-check that it has been sent to the correct email address. Finally, be in touch with us about obtaining an emergency write-in ballot if you do not receive a ballot.

 

Return your Ballot—October 2 Deadline

Many states allow you to return your ballot online, via email or fax. We strongly recommend you use these options and avoid the use of regular mail, where possible. Please read the instructions carefully that come with your ballot, and if you need assistance, reach out to us.

If you are voting from a state that requires you to return your voted ballot by mail, you have several options. You may use

local mail services, or we will be collecting ballots and, if our consular office remains closed, sending them via DHL to the Embassy in Mexico City. We strongly encourage our voters to have a plan and not delay in getting your ballots on the way to the U.S.

 

Please go to the Democrats Abroad Mexico website to sign-up for tutorials and access instructional videos (www.democratsabroad.org/mx).

 

Please email us at DemsAbroadSMA@gmail.com for any type of assistance.