Election Preparedness

Now that you are registered, consider voting early if you are in one of the 34 states that offer "no excuse" absentee (vote by mail) voting or "no excuses" in-person "early voting" at the office of the county elections official. According to the Early Voting Information Center (Reed College, Oregon), these states are:

Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia permit "no excuses" early voting in the office of elections official, but require an excuse for mail ballot absentee voting.

New Jersey and Washington State permit no excuses mail-in voting, but do not allow early voting at the elections office.

The State of Oregon is unique in that all voting is by mail-in ballot. There is no machine voting of any kind (this is also true in two small California Sierra Mountains counties, Alpine and Sierra). Also, in 37 of the 39 Washington State counties, there is no machine voting of any kind. Only King County (Seattle) and Pierce County (Tacoma) use voting machines, and in 2009, King County will switch to all-mail balloting.

The Other 16 States

In the other 16 states not on the above list and the District of Columbia, an excuse is required for either absentee voting by mail or early voting at the elections office. Typical excuses that allow for mail-in absentee voting or early voting at the elections offices are: documented required absence from the voting precinct or county on Election Day November 4, or a personal or family medical emergency.

If you live in any of these 16 states, check the state elections official's website for absentee voting or early voting instructions.

Note that in these states (except Kentucky, Minnesota and the District of Columbia), there is no early voting, only mail-in voting by persons with the approved excuse. In the District of Columbia, Kentucky and Minnesota you can either vote early in the county clerk's office or vote absentee, if you have the appropriate excuse. In Kentucky, you can vote absentee only if you are absent from the county on Election Day plus all days on which early voting takes place at the county clerk's office.

Obtaining an Absentee Ballot
In most states, the absentee ballot application deadline occurs ahead of Election Day. Although, most states do not begin to send absentee ballots out until October, they will accept written (or in some cases, electronic mail) requests for absentee ballots at any time.

Voting an Absentee Ballot
The absentee ballot you will receive is most likely an optically scanned card where you need to completely fill in the ovals. Be sure to carefully follow the instructions – for example, some states or counties require ballots to be filled out in black ink only.

You must also carefully sign the absentee ballot return envelope with a signature that matches your voter registration card signature. If the signatures do not match, the ballot will not be counted. In some states (e.g., Kentucky ), you have to sign the envelope in two places, an “inner envelope detachable flap” and an “outer envelope.”

What If I Make A Mistake Before Mailing The Ballot?
Some states, such as Nevada and Washington State, give absentee voters written instructions on how to correct mistakes. Others do not, so consider writing your choices on a sample ballot or other paper before finally marking the ballot.

What if I Realize I Made A Mistake After I Have Mailed The Ballot?
Your vote is cast unless you successfully use the United States postal Service "recall of mail" procedure. The United States Postal Service advises that a domestic first class "mailpiece" (such as an absentee ballot) may be intercepted and recalled by sending Postal Service Form 1509 "to the destination Post Office facility for interception of the mail item, if possible" before delivery of the absentee ballot envelope takes place. This form is available at any United States Post Office or on the United States Postal Service website.

Suppose I Lose or Do Not Receive The Absentee Ballot?
California allows you to receive up to two replacement ballots if you sign a statement under penalty of perjury that you lost, destroyed or did not receive the first ballot. Kentucky, Washington State and other states allow you to request another ballot if you do not receive a ballot within a "reasonable time" after the request, to ask for another and receive a replacement ballot.

Returning A Voted Absentee Ballot: Time and Place
Check with your state or county elections office to see if they will accept personal delivery of a voted absentee ballot at the elections office. Kentucky apparently will not, but California and Nevada will. If your elections office will accept personal delivery, consider a personal delivery, since even the U.S. Postal Service can lose mail.

Some states require the voted ballot to be delivered or arrive before Election Day, so check . Many states will count the ballot if it is delivered or arrives by mail before poll closing time on Election Day. In California, you may also personally deliver the voted absentee ballot on Election Day to any polling place in your county of registration. In Washington State, the ballot is counted if it is postmarked or delivered on or before Election Day.

If you use the mail, be sure to put the correct postage on the envelope: 42 cents, 69 cents (two ounces), or 86 cents (three ounces). Be sure to mail it well in advance of the receipt deadline.

Can Someone Else Return the Voted Ballot?
Maybe, but check first with your state or county elections office website . In California, the voted ballot may be returned by a designated relative or “household co-resident”, provided the legal voter signs the ballot envelope. In Nevada , a “family member” is the only person other than the voter who may return the ballot. Washington State and other states do not permit anyone other than the voter to return the voted ballot.

Can I Check To See If My Ballot Were Counted?
Probably. Effective March 2008 in California , each registrar of voters is required to have a website portal where vote-bymail voters can check to see if their ballot were counted. In other states, check with the state or county elections official website .

Early Voting
“Early voting” is the same voting machine process that occurs on Election Day, except that it takes place earlier, either in the county elections office or in satellite “early voting” locations. Early voting often starts as far as 45 days in advance of Election Day. For the general election, the states that allow early voting usually schedule it for multiple dates in October, in some counties as early as October 6.