Overseas and Military Balloting

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I've worked overseas since 2013; it has always happened that I accidentally was home during early voting in prior elections. No chance this time, so I applied for an 'overseas and military' ballot. I got an email to my business email address to confirm my request. Then last night (here) my ballot arrived! I was surprised!

I checked my boxes, then signed with my finger on the line just like in-person voting - they electronically compare this to your driver's license or other official signature. Clicked 'send,' and off it went. I tracked it to 'received' at my country clerk's office.

Amazing times we live in.

"1-6B-7
A. Not later than forty-five days before an election, even if the forty-fifth day before an election falls on a weekend or a holiday, the county clerk shall transmit a ballot and balloting materials to all federal qualified electors who by that date submit a valid military-overseas ballot application."
 
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Fascinating. Now, do they also tell you if they accepted your ballot as valid? I'm not trying to be a smart donkey, I've never been able to do an electronic signature (with my finger) that looks anything like my real signature.
 
I voted at the same precinct from the time I turned 19 (when the age of majority changed) until I moved 12 years ago. I had the same neighbors as officials. I walk in for the 2004 election and recognized not one face!! As they hand me the registry to sign, I see my wife, brother, dad and both their wives and my 4 kids. I point to my first son's name and say he's away in the Army, 2nd; he's away in the Marines; 3rd she's away at college; 4th he's away at college! The Judge gets snippy and says she doesn't care. I said you better, I'm going to check with the Election Board, and if they voted. I will testify I informed you at you Voter fraud trial, and you will go to prison! There were 6 of my neighbors in line, they all did the same thing! Net election, half of the election officer were locals again. I honestly believe the was an attempt to steal votes of out of towners. That was our last paper ballet election!

Ivan
 
After having voted early for years we are voting at the official start this year. Why? Because we've become "conspiracy theorists"! At least according to some. All I know is, I've told my kids that when I die don't let me vote for the other side!
 
My son and his entire Army unit didn't vote in the 2020 election, due to a European deployment and an administrative f-up somewhere. Was it intentional? Who knows? He's stateside this year, so he'll vote.
 
I will no longer use absentee or mail-on ballots because your signature has to "match." No two of my signatures are ever even close to a previous one, and I don't have faith in the minimum-wage voter-registration employees being certified in handwriting analysis.
 
When I was in, it was snail mail absentee balloting as usual.

We were encouraged to vote.

One senior NCO in another company used to tell his men NOT to vote saying
"You're here to protect democracy not practice it."

If the chain of command had heard him say that, well.........
 
On voting while out of country...Years ago while I drove city bus I had an attractive female customer that was always chatty, she had an amazing accent and was truly pleasant to be around. One day she mentioned that she had to go "back home" and would not be at her regular stop. I had regular passengers that rode five days a week at a certain time and if they weren't there I slowed and took a good look in case they were running. She was often running late and I never minded a bit of a wait to watch her run for my coach. I asked her if her parents were OK and in general curious about why she was going home. I believe she was from Argentina, its been a long time. According to her if she doesn't vote she gets a $50 fine, that is how serious they take the right to vote in that country. I was impressed, we talked. Few things irritate me more at this time of year than people that don't vote, this is a mail in state, there is no stamp required, I usually use a drop box to save the state a few cents. There ought to be a fine...$50 is good with me. If you don't pay the fine...you can't renew your driver's license.
On a side note, in Canada if you don't pay your auto insurance premium they suspend your license, I like that.
 
I was working in Bagram Afghanistan in 2015, my buddy and I received out ballots for the 2016 election, filled them out, Post office put priority mail tracking number on it and we mailed them in. The tracking number showed they got to Kuwait and no further. I contacted Army Postal people and they couldn't figure out where they were either.
Finally, we contacted our elections clerk and a new ballot was sent, we filled it out and sent it in. Clerk said whichever one got there would be the one they honored. Sure enough, the first ballot arrive a month after election were over.
I wrote to Washington Post, New York Times, Army Times and Stars and Stripes concerning was the military/civilians overseas being deliberately being disenfranchised? We also contacted our Senators, Congressman and even the dog catcher.
No one ever found where the ballots went. Consider the number of people who voted, how many thousand ballots never got counted!!
 
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