Receiving and Sending U.S. Mail

[rzjc46]

Hello, I will be on board the Regatta during the U.S. election this November 5. I can ask my state, Ohio, to send an absentee ballot. Is it possible to receive (and then send) something like this onboard? If so, does anyone know the appropriate address? 

[sitraveler]

No.   Get and send your vote before you sail

[Harters]

Wouldnt the difficulty be in not knowing when the ballot paper would arrive, therefore not knowing which port to have it sent to?

 

The law may well be different where you are but, here in the UK, an absentee ballot paper would only be sent to the address registered on the electoral roll. I have a similar interest. We may well have a general election sometime in the autumn and we're going to be in Cyprus for a couple of weeks. We are registered for postal votes but hopeful that the timings won't clash. Nothing we can do if they do. 

[EJL2023]

3 hours ago, rzjc46 said:

Hello, I will be on board the Regatta during the U.S. election this November 5. I can ask my state, Ohio, to send an absentee ballot. Is it possible to receive (and then send) something like this onboard? If so, does anyone know the appropriate address? 

When does your cruise depart?

[DrHemlock]

You don't say where you'll be boarding Regatta.  If in LA on 10/3, then I see your dilemma: according to your Ohio voting schedule, early and absentee voting don't begin until October 8th so that would be impossible for you.  OTOH, if you'll be flying to Tokyo to pick up the ship there on 10/29, then you should be able to vote early at home before departing.  

If the former, then maybe try this if you know or can make contact with someone in Tokyo:  Request an absentee ballot at the earliest possible date; have whoever is picking up your mail at home forward the ballot via DHL or whoever to your contact in Tokyo to hold until you arrive on the 29th; go ashore and meet up with that person; fill out your ballot, seal it and have the person return it, again via DHL or whoever, to the appropriate Ohio absentee voting address.  (I know, I know .... rampant vote-by-mail fraud!!!).

Other than that, I don't see a solution but will look forward to other posters' ideas.

Edited May 13 by DrHemlock

[clo]

6 hours ago, rzjc46 said:

Hello, I will be on board the Regatta during the U.S. election this November 5. I can ask my state, Ohio, to send an absentee ballot. Is it possible to receive (and then send) something like this onboard? If so, does anyone know the appropriate address? 

This looks super easy.

https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/absentee-ballot/

 

[rzjc46]

Thanks for the helpful thoughts and ideas. I will be gone over a month prior to election day. I think I will have to have someone pick up the mailed absentee ballot at my home and forward it to someplace where I can receive it. I like the idea of doing this in Tokyo, but I don't know anyone there. Mostly, I was wondering if it's possible to have it sent someplace where the ship can load it on board and then deliver it to me.

[Harters]

7 minutes ago, rzjc46 said:

I was wondering if it's possible to have it sent someplace where the ship can load it on board

O will have an agent at each port. You could ask O if it would be possible for this company to receive it for you and pass it on when the ship docks. 

 

By the by, I'm impressed at the dedication to your country's democratic process. 

Edited May 13 by Harters

[rzjc46]

14 minutes ago, Harters said:

O will have an agent at each port. You could ask O if it would be possible for this company to receive it for you and pass it on when the ship docks. 

 

By the by, I'm impressed at the dedication to your country's democratic process. 

This sounds like the most workable solution so far. I will check with O.

And yes, my wife and I are dedicated. It's the most critically important election......... since the last one 🙂

[pinotlover]

If you’re staying at a major hotel pre cruise, you can have the the party send it to the hotel. Notify the Concierge or front desk. When traveling abroad on business, we had documents sent to us quite often like this.

 

Don’t use US Mail. Have the party send it FedEx or UPS! Using the regular mail may take until the 2028 election to receive.

Edited May 13 by pinotlover

[clo]

1 hour ago, rzjc46 said:

Thanks for the helpful thoughts and ideas. I will be gone over a month prior to election day. I think I will have to have someone pick up the mailed absentee ballot at my home and forward it to someplace where I can receive it. I like the idea of doing this in Tokyo, but I don't know anyone there. Mostly, I was wondering if it's possible to have it sent someplace where the ship can load it on board and then deliver it to me.

If you do it now - five months ahead of time - seems like you'd have plenty of time.

One thing I don't know about cruise lines is there mail sent non-air mail?

[EJL2023]

6 minutes ago, clo said:

If you do it now - five months ahead of time - seems like you'd have plenty of time.

One thing I don't know about cruise lines is there mail sent non-air mail?

I think the problem is they will be gone more than a month prior to the election and as I understand it, Ohio does not send out Mail In Ballots until 29 days prior to the election. 

[clo]

50 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

I think the problem is they will be gone more than a month prior to the election and as I understand it, Ohio does not send out Mail In Ballots until 29 days prior to the election. 

Okay, That's not how I read it but honestly too tired to reread.

[DrHemlock]

3 hours ago, rzjc46 said:

I will be gone over a month prior to election day.

Do you mean you'll be aboard Regatta for a month, having boarded in LA on 10/3?  Or that you'll be traveling otherwise and intend to meet and board Regatta in Tokyo on 10/29?  

If boarding on 10/3 in LA, then pinotlover's suggestion re pre-cruise hotel won't work because the ship only stops for one day in Tokyo; ergo, you won't have a hotel.  In that case, then Harters' suggestion of the port agent could work if you can clear it with them ahead of time.

OTOH, if you are planning to board the cruise in Tokyo on the 29th, then it's a matter of how early you plan to arrive in the city and whether you will stay in a hotel for one or more days before joining the ship.  If so, then pinotlover's suggestion becomes an excellent one.

Or will you board the cruise in LA and then disembark in Tokyo?  And, if so, do you plan to stay in a post-cruise hotel?  In that case, pinotlover's suggestion is still in the game.  

This would all be a lot easier if you would at least tell us your date of departure from Ohio, your initial boarding date/city, and whether you intend to to said one segment (LA-Tokyo or Tokyo-Singapore) or two (LA-Singapore).  Otherwise, we're all trying to help based upon speculation and guesswork.

Edited May 13 by DrHemlock

[rzjc46]

4 minutes ago, DrHemlock said:

Do you mean you'll be aboard Regatta for a month, having boarded in LA on 10/3?  O that you'll be traveling otherwise and intend to meet and board Regatta in Tokyo on 10/29?  

If boarding on 10/3 in LA, then pinotlover's suggestion re pre-cruise hotel won't work because the ship only stops for one day in Tokyo; ergo, you won't have a hotel.  In that case, then Harters' suggestion of the port agent could work if you can clear it with them ahead of time.

We are boarding Regatta on 10/3. As I mentioned, I will check with O about their port agents. Thanks.

[DrHemlock]

Okay, yeah.....if you're sailing two segments and not disembarking in Tokyo, then that seems the best solution.  (Too bad American Express discontinued their poste restante service several years ago.  Now that was convenient.)  Good luck and have a great trip!

[rzjc46]

Since some have been following this, I will let you know what we've decided.

Ohio says they send ballots out a month before the election. That would be around October 5. We embark on October 3. Our daughter can watch for it and forward it, but of course we don’t know exactly when that will be (possibly Oct. 8, 9 or 10). Now, I’m thinking that she might possibly be able to get it to Seward by Oct. 14 by FedEx. If that will work out, we can just pick it up at the Seward FedEx office and then return it. That's the plan, anyway. Thanks again, everyone.

[Jim_Iain]

On 5/13/2024 at 9:48 AM, rzjc46 said:

Thanks for the helpful thoughts and ideas. I will be gone over a month prior to election day. I think I will have to have someone pick up the mailed absentee ballot at my home and forward it to someplace where I can receive it. I like the idea of doing this in Tokyo, but I don't know anyone there. Mostly, I was wondering if it's possible to have it sent someplace where the ship can load it on board and then deliver it to me.

 

You may wish to contact your Local Voting Board of Elections.   My understanding that in Ohio you can vote in person and absentee ballots are mailed to 29 days prior to an election.