OP-ED by Steve Johnson and Barbara Steenstrup – As you know by now, the United States presidential election is a contest between a LAW DEFENDER and a FELON. The contrast is stark. Yet, the race, with only two weeks to go. is a dead heat. As a result, many U.S. citizens living in Costa Rica are voting for the first time in their lives. V
Volunteers at Democrats Abroad are helping first-time voters figure out the voting process. The repeated cry is HOW DO I VOTE! THIS TIME MY VOTE REALLY MEANS SOMETHING!
Voting absentee from overseas is a three-step process – 1. Register/request your ballot; 2. Receive your ballot; 3. Mark your ballot and return it. For this reason, it is already too late to register and vote in about half the states, which include the battleground states of Florida, Georgia, and Texas.
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But there is good news as well: there is still time to vote in the battleground states of Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin.
DEADLINES, DEADLINES, DEADLINES. Registering, receiving your ballot, and voting takes time, and time is a commodity that is rapidly running out. In many states, deadlines have already come and gone. The only states where you can still register to vote are the following:
- October 21 California; Delaware
- October 25 Utah
- October 26 Hawaii; Mississippi; New York
- October 28 Indiana
- October 29 Kentucky; Tennessee
- November 4 Connecticut; Maine; North Carolina; Rhode Island
- November 5 (the same day as the election): Arizona; Colorado; Illinois; Iowa; Kansas; Massachusetts; Michigan, Montana; Nevada; New Hampshire, North Dakota; Vermont; Washington
THE GOOD NEWS AND THE BAD NEWS
- Ballots for most of these states can be submitted by email or online upload.
- Some states require ballots be returned by postal mail. These include Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, New Hampshire, New York, Tennessee, and Vermont.
Until now, Democrats Abroad has recommended that voters return their mail-in ballots via international priority mail with Correos de Costa Rica. It’s inexpensive, easy, and relatively fast. The bad news is that realistically the only option for returning ballots in time to mail in states is international courier, DHL or FedEx. The cost is $40 – $50 from Costa Rica. But every vote counts, If you value the future of democracy, $50 is really a small price to pay.
Think about it.
Do not delay. As soon as you read this notice, go to https://www.votefromabroad.org/ or call 7106-9505. Volunteers will do everything possible to help you cast your vote and make sure that it arrives in time to count.
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