Voting while cruising

Is it possible to be a good citizen (US in this case) while cruising? We leave home about the 26th of Sept and don't return tip about the 7th of November. Right during the mid-term elections and here in Colorado they are often squeekers. We can do mail in ballots but they won't be available when we leave, and we get back after the election. Anybody worked this out before? Is is possible to have a ballot sent to some remote island and mail it from there? Does Silversea send mail to ships? Or arrange for mail to be collected for certain places? We will be on the Discoverer and the most likely place to pick up things is the Solomon Islands- not exactly a mainstream place. Any thoughts? Or do I just bag it this year?

Is it possible to be a good citizen (US in this case) while cruising? We leave home about the 26th of Sept and don't return tip about the 7th of November. Right during the mid-term elections and here in Colorado they are often squeekers. We can do mail in ballots but they won't be available when we leave, and we get back after the election. Anybody worked this out before? Is is possible to have a ballot sent to some remote island and mail it from there? Does Silversea send mail to ships? Or arrange for mail to be collected for certain places? We will be on the Discoverer and the most likely place to pick up things is the Solomon Islands- not exactly a mainstream place. Any thoughts? Or do I just bag it this year?

Because of our travel schedule, we have for years gotten our absentee ballots. If you are home during an election, you can vote in person. I believe you can request these online. Check out your local Division of Elections site.

Good luck!

I agree, we frequently need to use Absentee ballots. Google your local Board of Elections.

Not sure that absentee ballots will be available before we leave and where would they be sent as we sail along? I think I may have found a solution- maybe. Apparently you can register before you leave then access your state's ballots online to print out then mail (http://www.fvap.gov). I think that might work. Just found the website but, wonder how long mail takes to get back to the states from the Solomon Islands?

Go to http://www.longdistancevoter.org/colorado to read how to vote absentee. It can be easily done before you leave for vacation.

You may be able to vote in National elections from US Embassies wherever you are, but most likely will not be able to vote state or local elections

If you can get (print) an official absentee ballot, you don't need to wait until Election Day to fill it out and mail it, you can do it as soon as you get it. The mailing time from the Solomon Islands, or wherever shouldn't be an issue.

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The difficulty is that the ballots are not likely to be available before I leave. If they are, no problem. But this is the real issue- if we leave before they are available, what then. This is why the website I found may be the solution. The office is still checking to see when exactly they will be available.

5waldos -

Please do check the website we mentioned in post #5 above. You should have plenty of time to receive your absentee ballot at home (they are mailed 30 days prior to the election). You just fill it in and mail it right back to them. You don't have to wait to mail it.

The election is on November 4th. We leave on September 26. That is way more than 30 days. Therein lies the problem.

5waldos -

Our mistake. For some reason we were thinking of October rather than September as your departure month.

The election is on November 4th. We leave on September 26. That is way more than 30 days. Therein lies the problem.

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but we currently have the same problem with our up coming presidential election and cruise. We leave before the mail in ballots will arrive and will be in New Zealand on election day.

Wondering how you solved your problem.

Utahtea

I thought we would have the same problem due to leaving on August 20th and returning on November 5th, but the election is on November 8th (first Tuesday after the first Monday). I mistakenly thought it was the first Tuesday. If Swaldos returns on November 7th, you should be good to go.

I thought we would have the same problem due to leaving on August 20th and returning on November 5th, but the election is on November 8th (first Tuesday after the first Monday). I mistakenly thought it was the first Tuesday. If Swaldos returns on November 7th, you should be good to go.

'Cept 5Waldos post is from 2014.

Utahtea is wondering how the problem was solved, if it was.

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but we currently have the same problem with our up coming presidential election and cruise. We leave before the mail in ballots will arrive and will be in New Zealand on election day.

 

Wondering how you solved your problem.

 

Utahtea

The rules for this vary by State and are not set at the National Level just like many rules are such as even early voting with some states allowing early voting and others not.

You need to either go to your states web site for voting or contact them by phone.

Keith

Call your election office and they can set you up to vote. In many places you can download the ballot and mail it in-we were sailing around Papua New Guinea so no way we could mail it in. But they mailed mine out way early so we were able to vote. In fact they kept me on as being out of the country and just last month I finally got back on their regular roles.

Again it all varies by state.

Keith

I thought absentee voting was allowed in all states. I vote absentee in Florida.

Ok, I found the answer:

http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/absentee-and-early-voting.aspx

Call your election office and they can set you up to vote. In many places you can download the ballot and mail it in-we were sailing around Papua New Guinea so no way we could mail it in. But they mailed mine out way early so we were able to vote. In fact they kept me on as being out of the country and just last month I finally got back on their regular roles.

I'll call tomorrow. Sorry for the confusion. Thanks everyone.

Utahtea

No problem it was very confusing when we first had to set it up but once you get the right person it all works out. Voting is very important, especially this year.

I have always wondered what a floating voter was. Now I know.

:)

Absentee voting is allowed in all states, but the rules vary from state to state. We are in Oklahoma and will be on a cruise in November. Will do early voting here before we leave, but that is not available everywhere. And to make it more complex, my husband is an election official. The head of the election board is not thrilled with him being gone during a presidential election, but it is my fault. I should have paid more attention when scheduling.