In case you help any California or Florida voters, or if you are one yourself, here are last minute updates. It is still possible to vote in both those states even if you or they missed the Ballot Request deadline.
Voters should email the help desk and specify their state and county for detailed instructions (email Help@DemocratsAbroad.org or use the chat feature at VoteFromAbroad.org and be sure to provide email & phone to receive responses).
California voters: If CA voters abroad have missed the October 19 deadline to register to vote/update their status, they can still get a ballot, but must use California’s “Conditional Voter Registration” process.
Conditional Voter Registration (CVR) allows any California voter who missed the registration deadline to cast a provisional ballot. The vote will be counted if the voter registration is accepted. Get the details by emailing Help@DemocratsAbroad.org with your state & county and let them know if you already filed your Federal Post Card Registration (FPCA) form through VoteFromAbroad.org.
For Florida voters who have not yet requested their ballot: Registered voters can request their ballot up to election day. But, if they request it within 12 days of the election, they must also submit a separate form stating why they can’t appear to vote in person.
VoteFromAbroad.org has added the instructions with a link to the form (DS-DE 162) for voters to fill out along with their FPCA form. The voter can download the form while they are on the Vote From Abroad (VFA) website.
They will need to print the form to sign it, but they can then photograph/scan the signed form and submit it with their signed FPCA form directly to their Local Election Office from the VFA website.
And for those with connections to US citizen voters in the US, please remind them to:
- Know their rights
- Demand election integrity
- Refuse to be intimidated
- And INSIST on exercising their right to vote.
As always, if you still need more help, please WhatsApp Steve Johnson, Federal Voting Assistance Officer, here in Costa Rica at 7106-9505.
The views and opinions expressed in this post are for general informational purposes only.