So I see this banner.
“US Citizens Residing Abroad Register to Vote click here”
So I email, call, fax. No reply!
What gives?
Eric
[quote=“Boomer”]So I see this banner.
http://Segue%20(Now%20Forumosa).com.tw/0/adview.php?clientid=3&n=a5263f2a
I email, call, fax. No reply!
What gives?
Eric[/quote]
Eric, Just go to your state’s or county’s website (depending on how it runs in your state). They should have information about registering to vote and/or absentee ballots. The site for the county for which I am from in Pennsylvania, even had .pdf versions of all the forms I could print out and send in. It took maybe a week or so, to get there.
You still have more than enough time to apply for an absentee ballot for the November election. From what I understand, they can’t officially accept the applications to August, anyway. At least, that is what the lady from my home county told me.
[quote]Eric, Just go to your state’s or county’s website (depending on how it runs in your state). They should have information about registering to vote and/or absentee ballots. The site for the county for which I am from in Pennsylvania, even had .pdf versions of all the forms I could print out and send in. It took maybe a week or so, to get there.
You still have more than enough time to apply for an absentee ballot for the November election. From what I understand, they can’t officially accept the applications to August, anyway. At least, that is what the lady from my home county told me.
[/quote]
I want to organise an absentee voter registration drive for Americans here in Taichung.
The thing is, shouldn’t the American Government Representative in Taiwan be a little more, well there?
[quote=“Boomer”]I want to organise an absentee voter registration drive for Americans here in Taichung (Taizhong).
The thing is, shouldn’t the American Government Representative in Taiwan be a little more, well there?[/quote]
That would be difficult as each state has different laws. THere is no central clearninghouse for national voter registration. Since my previous state of residence was Georgia, I vote there. If your previous state of residence was Alaska, you would have to fill in their forms and abide by their rules.
American Institute in Taiwan - Press Release
PR-0044E 2000/9/29
U.S. CITIZENS ENCOURAGED TO VOTE
All American citizens who have not yet registered to vote in the November 7 Presidential Election should do so as soon as possible. Any U.S. citizen living in Taiwan can register to vote by coming to the American Citizens Services Section of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). AIT will provide a Registration Card to obtain an Absentee Ballot, a pamphlet describing specific voting instructions, and a photocopy of instruction specific to the state in which the voter is registering.
Since time is short, the sooner voters register, the better their chances of receiving their ballots on time. AIT recommends that Registration Cards be mailed by October 4. If you have any questions, you may call AIT at 2709-2000, extension 2306. DHL is also offering a free courier service for Absentee Ballots. The voters can drop off their ballots at American Institute in Taiwan (Taipei & Kaohsiung Offices); or Taipei American School; or the nearest DHL office. The drop-off period is from October 2 to November 1, 2000.
Please remember that Absentee Ballots must be received at the registrar’s office no later than the Election Day, November 7.
This Press Release is also available at:
[quote]U.S. CITIZENS ENCOURAGED TO VOTE
All American citizens who have not yet registered to vote in the November 7 Presidential Election should do so as soon as possible. Any U.S. citizen living in Taiwan can register to vote by coming to the American Citizens Services …[/quote]
That’s great but I don’t live in Taipei. I live in Taichung as do thousands of other disenfranchised Americans. AIT sends a person to Taichung once a month and you have to make an appointment.
Now we could all use the National Mail Voter Registration Form.
fec.gov/votregis/vr.htm
I am even willing to print up the copies and pay the printing fees myself for every American in Taichung. All I need is a little support.
Eric
http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/onlinefpca.html
I got my application online from the above site. Just print it out, fill it in, and mail it.
You can obtain the application and instructions for your state here:
Thanks
Are you people all crazy or something? Don’t you remember what happened during the RECOUNTING in the US Presidental election in 2000? As it turns out, none of the balloting stations across the nation even take any account of “absentee ballots” . . . . . they just throw them away.
In other words, if there is a Democratic and a Republican candidate for the Presidency, and in this voting district they are separated by 200 votes, and there are 97 absentee ballots, they just throw the absentee ballots away, they don’t even open them!!! If you think this is not true, then you are very confused about how the Presidential balloting system works in the USA.
In short, absentee ballots are not counted except in the rarest of circumstances, so you are totally wasting your time to try to send in an absentee ballot.
P.S. I will eat my hat in the plaza in front of Taiwan’s Presidential Office if AIT will issue a statement to say that all absentee ballots are always counted.
I REPEAT THAT DURING THE 2000 ELECTIONS, IT WAS ANNOUNCED TO THE MEDIA THAT ABSENTEE BALLOTS ARE NOT COUNTED. This was the situation in the polling stations in Florida and many other states . . . . . certainly that represents “standard procedure” throughout the nation!!!
P.P.S. It would be different if Taiwan had absentee ballots, because Taiwan does not use the electoral ballot system.
This is from the US embassy in Japan
Will My Absentee Ballot Be Counted?
FVAP occasionally receives a comment from UOCAVA citizens who believe their absentee ballots are not counted by their home states. Fact:
All properly executed absentee ballots, that are received on time from eligible voters, are counted by local election officials. These absentee ballots may not have been tallied before the precinct announces a preliminary election outcome, but they are always counted and included in the official count of votes that is provided to the state chief election official.
http://japan.usembassy.gov/txts/wwwt070302.txt
Through my research on forming an orthodox voting block I have become something of an expert on the definition of voter fraud. Here is my take on it.
States may have different election rules for state wide elections. Federal elections are a different matter. If the local election officials refuse to accept your vote in your precinct for a national candidate they have committed a felony. Not only could we (yes I will help you if that is the case) sue them but a criminal prosecution may be possible as well. The question is how do we tell if our votes are being accepted for the
candidate we vote for and not declared invalid.
State wide elections are held in accordance with each states election laws. How honest is your state?
My mother served as an election judge for the state of Maryland. I will ask her if they counted the absentee ballots. She’s out of town now so it may take a few days to get a hold of her but when I know I will post the answer.
[quote=“Quest”]Are you people all crazy or something? Don’t you remember what happened during the RECOUNTING in the US Presidental election in 2000? As it turns out, none of the balloting stations across the nation even take any account of “absentee ballots” . . . . . they just throw them away.
In other words, if there is a Democratic and a Republican candidate for the Presidency, and in this voting district they are separated by 200 votes, and there are 97 absentee ballots, they just throw the absentee ballots away, they don’t even open them!!! If you think this is not true, then you are very confused about how the Presidential balloting system works in the USA.[/quote]
Quest is right. This is exactly what happened in Florida in 2000. They threw the absentee ballots away when the difference between the two candidates was larger than the number of absentee ballots.
[quote=“marky”][quote=“Quest”]Are you people all crazy or something? Don’t you remember what happened during the RECOUNTING in the US Presidental election in 2000? As it turns out, none of the balloting stations across the nation even take any account of “absentee ballots” . . . . . they just throw them away.
In other words, if there is a Democratic and a Republican candidate for the Presidency, and in this voting district they are separated by 200 votes, and there are 97 absentee ballots, they just throw the absentee ballots away, they don’t even open them!!! If you think this is not true, then you are very confused about how the Presidential balloting system works in the USA.[/quote]
Quest is right. This is exactly what happened in Florida in 2000. They threw the absentee ballots away when the difference between the two candidates was larger than the number of absentee ballots.[/quote]
And if that is true, why should that be a disincentive to cast an absentee ballot? If the election is close, wouldn’t you want your vote to be counted?
No, no, that was only military absentee ballots due to Gore’s electioneering. 
I don’t know about other states, but Georgia law requires that all absentee ballots be counted and recorded with the rest of the vote count. THey are opened and counted at the same time as the rest of the votes as the deadline for receipt is 7:00pm election day (the same time that polls close in the State of Georgia.
[quote=“Quest”]Are you people all crazy or something? Don’t you remember what happened during the RECOUNTING in the US Presidental election in 2000? As it turns out, none of the balloting stations across the nation even take any account of “absentee ballots” . . . . . they just throw them away.
[/quote]
The consensus seems to be that absentee ballots are thrown out and not counted. So, sending in an absentee ballot is clearly a waste of time (and postage).
Luckily, a consensus by a bunch of folks who don’t know what they’re talking about doesn’t count for much.
[quote]Quest wrote:
The consensus seems to be that absentee ballots are thrown out and not counted. So, sending in an absentee ballot is clearly a waste of time (and postage).
Luckily, a consensus by a bunch of folks who don’t know what they’re talking about doesn’t count for much.
[/quote]
It does seem very unlikely that people who care enough to volunteer as election officials would risk imprisonment and worse by doing something so stupid as not counting absentee ballots.
Unfortunatly we as absentee voters have no way finding out if our ballots even made it through the mails of at least two nations postal systems. Even if we send it registered mail or Fed Ex like in the last presidential election in the US. There is no mechanism for telling voters if absentee ballots are valid or invalid. An example would be if we forget to sign the envelope to seal it, or if it comes open in the mail or gets lost.
Until that problem is addressed the government will have a hard time convincing even the less cynical absentee voters that their vote counts.