By Barbara Erickson and Hope Bradberry
If you have not received your ballot, you can still vote! But there are conditions, so please read carefully.
American citizens who are registered to vote and have requested their overseas ballot in 2020 using the Federal Post Card Application form, but do not receive their General Election Ballot, have the right to use the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB). If you have not received your ballot yet, it is time to do the write-in ballot.
It is a good idea for anyone who has not received a ballot to be in contact with their local election official to make certain they are registered and can use the FWAB! Use this link to find their telephone numbers and emails: www.votefromabroad.org/states
Depending on your voting state, the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot may only allow you to vote for federal offices, such as President, Senator and Congressperson. Other states allow you to add your state offices.
You can find it online at www.fvap.gov/fwab-privacy-notice.
If you use the fillable FWAB online, it should populate with your electoral choices.
There are various state rules for returning the Federal Write in Absentee Ballot, if you have trouble accessing it online, our GOTV Volunteers are available to advise you how to use it successfully. Please email us at demsabroadsma@gmail.com for assistance.
You can look up your sample ballot here and facts about your district here: ballotpedia.org/Sample_Ballot_Lookup
Our office on Ancha de San Antonio 19 will be open this upcoming week on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 12-3pm, to assist voters with their FWABs and also to help voters from states that allow faxing and electronic submission of ballots.
If you use the emergency write in ballot and then your actual ballot arrives, you can still vote it. When your election official receives your regular General Election ballot they will discard your emergency ballot.
If you are mailing your ballot, time is running out. We are no longer arranging transport to the embassy in Mexico City, so now you will need to send your ballot to the states using one of the mail forwarding services in town or private courier, such as UPS. Please call your election official to be sure they will accept a private courier.
Every Vote Counts!