Voting while on long cruise?

[IllinoisGirl1978]

Good idea about calling congressman!!!!

 

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

Try your local committee person (which ever party of your personal choice).

[Host Walt]

Please stick with cruise discussions but NO POLITICS. (6 posts have been removed because they involved touting the poster's political preferences.)

 

Thanks

Edited July 14, 2016 by Host Walt

[dchip]

I called our Congressman's office today. They will mail the ballot to the Amsterdam if HAL will accept mail. We can then fill out the ballot and mail it in Kona, Hilo or Pago Pago.

 

I guess my next call is to HAL.

 

Cheers, Denise

[rkacruiser]

I called our Congressman's office today. They will mail the ballot to the Amsterdam if HAL will accept mail. We can then fill out the ballot and mail it in Kona, Hilo or Pago Pago.

 

I guess my next call is to HAL.

 

Cheers, Denise

 

Unless the procedures have changed, you will be told to have mail sent in care of the Port Agent at whatever port you select. Be sure to get the detailed address required.

 

I would suggest Hilo or Pago Pago simply because the ship will probably dock at those ports and it would be more simple for the Port Agent to get mail to the Front Office. Kona would be a port where the ship would anchor.

[sail7seas]

That is a good point about letting the embassy or consulate mail your ballot. My understanding is that there is no charge and I expect that the State Department mailing system is more reliable than either the Amsterdam's or a local foreign postal system.

ported home in diplomatic pouch. to eliminate chance of tampering. Edited July 14, 2016 by sail7seas

[prescottbob]

Ahoy!

 

Just my two cents.

 

I spoke with our voter registration folks a couple of months ago here in Prescott, AZ (Yavapai County, AZ) regarding this 'problem'. We will be on the Maasdam from 9/26 to 12/2 for an 'Aussie' / 'Kiwi' cruise.

 

I was given the following information, at least for our County.

 

1. Request a Voter Registration & Absentee Ballot Request Post Card Application (FPCA) Application (standard form 76, revised 08-2013). I did so and they emailed two requests for self & wife as an attachment.

 

2. On the form:

 

1. Classification, check box #3 (residing out of country/ plan to return): I know it sounds 'goofy' but the person in charge of our Voter Registration office said she spoke to the Federal Voting folks about this several years ago about this situation. Since there isn't a box for travelers on the form yet they told her to have folks check box #3.

 

2. Voting Address, box #7: put your address that matches your voter registration address (usually your residence).

 

3. **This is the important part**: Where to send my ballot, box #8: Put in "travelling outside of the United States giving the dates of departure & return (in our case = 9/26 to 12/2)"

 

3. Then we sent the form back to the County Voting folks, received their 'blessing' and they will now automatically email an early voting ballot to our email address.

 

4. In one of the ports we'll need to stop by an internet place, print out the ballot, fill it in & sign, and then scan it in and send back to the County via email, or FAX it back to the County prior to Election Day, Nov. 8th.

 

I suppose calling your local County Voter Registration office, if applicable, might help others but this is the procedure they use here in northern AZ.

 

All be well.

Bob:)

[Fouremco]

Ahoy!

 

Just my two cents.

 

I spoke with our voter registration folks a couple of months ago here in Prescott, AZ (Yavapai County, AZ) regarding this 'problem'. We will be on the Maasdam from 9/26 to 12/2 for an 'Aussie' / 'Kiwi' cruise.

 

I was given the following information, at least for our County.

 

1. Request a Voter Registration & Absentee Ballot Request Post Card Application (FPCA) Application (standard form 76, revised 08-2013). I did so and they emailed two requests for self & wife as an attachment.

 

2. On the form:

 

1. Classification, check box #3 (residing out of country/ plan to return): I know it sounds 'goofy' but the person in charge of our Voter Registration office said she spoke to the Federal Voting folks about this several years ago about this situation. Since there isn't a box for travelers on the form yet they told her to have folks check box #3.

 

2. Voting Address, box #7: put your address that matches your voter registration address (usually your residence).

 

3. **This is the important part**: Where to send my ballot, box #8: Put in "travelling outside of the United States giving the dates of departure & return (in our case = 9/26 to 12/2)"

 

3. Then we sent the form back to the County Voting folks, received their 'blessing' and they will now automatically email an early voting ballot to our email address.

 

4. In one of the ports we'll need to stop by an internet place, print out the ballot, fill it in & sign, and then scan it in and send back to the County via email, or FAX it back to the County prior to Election Day, Nov. 8th.

 

I suppose calling your local County Voter Registration office, if applicable, might help others but this is the procedure they use here in northern AZ.

 

All be well.

Bob:)

This sounds like a reasonable system for those who are physically unable to vote at a local polling station, whether or not they are travelling out of the country. Is there a similar system for people in hospitals, retirement homes or otherwise unable to go to a polling station?

[RMLincoln]

Ahoy!

 

Just my two cents.

 

I spoke with our voter registration folks a couple of months ago here in Prescott, AZ (Yavapai County, AZ) regarding this 'problem'. We will be on the Maasdam from 9/26 to 12/2 for an 'Aussie' / 'Kiwi' cruise.

 

I was given the following information, at least for our County.

 

1. Request a Voter Registration & Absentee Ballot Request Post Card Application (FPCA) Application (standard form 76, revised 08-2013). I did so and they emailed two requests for self & wife as an attachment.

 

2. On the form:

 

1. Classification, check box #3 (residing out of country/ plan to return): I know it sounds 'goofy' but the person in charge of our Voter Registration office said she spoke to the Federal Voting folks about this several years ago about this situation. Since there isn't a box for travelers on the form yet they told her to have folks check box #3.

 

2. Voting Address, box #7: put your address that matches your voter registration address (usually your residence).

 

3. **This is the important part**: Where to send my ballot, box #8: Put in "travelling outside of the United States giving the dates of departure & return (in our case = 9/26 to 12/2)"

 

3. Then we sent the form back to the County Voting folks, received their 'blessing' and they will now automatically email an early voting ballot to our email address.

 

4. In one of the ports we'll need to stop by an internet place, print out the ballot, fill it in & sign, and then scan it in and send back to the County via email, or FAX it back to the County prior to Election Day, Nov. 8th.

 

I suppose calling your local County Voter Registration office, if applicable, might help others but this is the procedure they use here in northern AZ.

 

All be well.

Bob:)

 

Thanks Bob for these details, just what I was needing. I'm hoping this will work for us. The County Clerk's office did not know how to help us when we were there last but the County Clerk was out that day. We will continue to try to see the County Clerk herself but we live 90 minutes away and it's not easy to coordinate. But I'm still hoping that this process will work even though the email I got back from FVOA was very negative - pretty much "No you can't and we can't help you!"

 

I have no problem with getting the ballot by email if they can really do that from the County office. And I have no problem paying to print them out and sending them back by postage, by FAX charges, and maybe we can get them scanned and emailed? that'd be great.

 

Thanks to all for the many suggestions:

 

We will be in Honolulu on the day that is 30 days prior to Election Day, so I can't have the Absentee Ballots mailed to Honolulu as they won't get there before us. I'll check Hilo which is a few days later, but still may be too tight.

 

We'll be in Suva on a Sunday, so I doubt the Consulate will be open.

 

We're not going to Sydney, we're on tales of the South Pacific, so Hawaii, American Samoa (maybe a good option), Western Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook and Society Islands (Papeete may be a good place to find business support on a Friday before Election day), Tuamotu and Marquesas (after Election day) Islands.

 

Other good options to consider: Maybe we can have the Absentee Ballots mailed to the ship or the port agent. It's dicey though with so many tiny places on the itinerary. I once mailed a deposit check to a family pension in Tahiti and it took 3 weeks to get there! After I have exhausted al avenues open to me, I may consider contacting my congressman, I hadn't thought of that before.

 

I have never not voted! And I plan to get this figured out and appreciate your serious help.

 

Walt: I apologize that some of the replies to this question required your attention and action, but I appreciate you keeping the thread going. The experiences of CCers is invaluable, and apparently once again prove to be more knowledgeable and helpful than those who should know more.

 

Many thanks all! m-- :)

[RMLincoln]

I called our Congressman's office today. They will mail the ballot to the Amsterdam if HAL will accept mail. We can then fill out the ballot and mail it in Kona, Hilo or Pago Pago.

 

I guess my next call is to HAL.

 

Cheers, Denise

 

Hi Denise,

Please post here when you find out about HAL receiving mail. Which port would you try to have someone send it to?

 

When you say, "They will mail the ballot..." do you mean that your congressman's office will mail the ballots to HAL? Would it be your county ballot with all the "down ballot" elections, propositions, bonds etc? That would be amazing! I hope this works out. Maybe we could get them in Pago Pago when we are there on the 18th? This would be my best alternative plan , iif the email ballot is not something that our County Clerk can do... but Pagp Pago is only 10 days after my ballots are supposed to be mailed out...:confused:. There's gotta be a way! m--

[prescottbob]

This sounds like a reasonable system for those who are physically unable to vote at a local polling station, whether or not they are travelling out of the country. Is there a similar system for people in hospitals, retirement homes or otherwise unable to go to a polling station?

 

Hello My Canadian Friend,

 

I don't know how you good folks handle your voting stuff 'up North' but here, at least in Arizona, we have early voting (e.g. primaries, recalls & initiatives, local & national elections) via mail for anyone wishing to do so.

 

We haven't been to a polling place in ages (I can't recall specifically when it became available here in AZ) but it's been available for quite sometime. One need not fill out the form I previously mentioned except for voting from overseas (e.g. military folks, travelers, tax paying expats and such).

 

It seems like every State here has their 'own way' of doing thing voting-wise in the USA.

 

I don't miss waiting in line at the polling place but do miss the "I Voted Today" sticker they used to put on your label upon exiting polling place. :)

 

Be well & safe travels.

Bob:)

[Fouremco]

Hello My Canadian Friend,

 

I don't know how you good folks handle your voting stuff 'up North' but here, at least in Arizona, we have early voting (e.g. primaries, recalls & initiatives, local & national elections) via mail for anyone wishing to do so.

 

We haven't been to a polling place in ages (I can't recall specifically when it became available here in AZ) but it's been available for quite sometime. One need not fill out the form I previously mentioned except for voting from overseas (e.g. military folks, travelers, tax paying expats and such).

 

It seems like every State here has their 'own way' of doing thing voting-wise in the USA.

 

I don't miss waiting in line at the polling place but do miss the "I Voted Today" sticker they used to put on your label upon exiting polling place. :)

 

Be well & safe travels.

Bob:)

Thanks for the information, Bob. As closely as I watch American politics, I guess I haven't kept track of the technical details of the actual voting procedures. Truth be told, until our last federal election, when we voted at an advanced poll to avoid the anticipated crush on election day, I hadn't kept track of all the options now available for Canadian voters.

[rkacruiser]

Please correct me if I am mistaken, but I am sure that HAL's vessels, wherever in the world they may be, will hopefully receive mail of any type addressed to a guest, if they are sent in care of the Port Agent for that Port. That has been my experience for both non-election received mail as well as a ballot from my County Board of Elections.

 

Depending upon where the mail is directed, the address for the Port Agent is very extensive.

 

The one ballot that I received in Hong Kong had a multi-line address required. When I presented the information to the Clerk at my County Board of Elections Office, she said: "Must all of this be included? I don't know that I can fit it all on the mailing label." Mr response: "Yes, it is required for the mail to reach its destination."

 

Well, she did. I received my ballot and I was able to vote.

 

To vote when one is not in the United States requires persistence.

Edited July 15, 2016 by rkacruiser

[wander]

I want to emphasize what some others have said - CHECK with your LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS! Procedures and options vary very much in how ballots can be obtained, returned, etc. WE usually travel in the Fall and have always been able to work out a satisfactory solution expect for one time when were were unaware of the options available. I am sure that sometimes a solution is not readily available - but try.

 

In response to a poster who asked about options for folks in nursing homes and such, since ours is all mail in - no problem as long as someone can bring their ballot to them. However, there are special options for folks with sight impairment that would preclude them from reading and/or making their ballots.

[Traveling Dot]

VOTING MATTERS. It's true that absentee votes aren't counted unless there's a tight race. But you don't know how tight the race will be until election day (or the next day) so it's worth doing if voting matters to you.

 

The issue I see with the absentee ballot is how the OP will get it. I'm not sure it can be mailed to you in care of someone else at another address. If someone is picking up your mail, they can dig it out and send it to the port agent for you.

 

I'd start by talking to someone at the local board of elections. In NJ, it's handled at the county level. Not sure about other states.

 

I am a Election Warden in charge of the 15th Ward (also known as the Pine Hills) in my town and let me tell you that all absentee ballots are counted. I always have a stack of absentee ballots that I have to put through the voting machine to be counted on the day of the election. And let me tell you there are a lot in my district because of all the snow birds that leave for Florida at the first sign of cold weather. My ward is the only one in town that also has the most voters at every election that do vote even if they are going to be out of town.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Traveling Dot

[dchip]

I just spent a long time on the phone with HAL regarding voting while on our upcoming cruise. They do NOT recommend mailing the ballot either to the ship or a port agent. They said to contact FVAP.gov which I believe is the agency the OP mentioned in the very first post.

 

I am now headed to our County Board of Elections to see if I can get any help there. I will keep you posted.

 

Cheers, Denise

[dchip]

I called FVAP.gov. The gentleman I spoke with said to go to my county election office and find out what options they had for me. (On my way there now) If they don't have a way for us to vote, then go back to the FVAP.gov site and you are able to request a write in ballot that can be sent before the cruise. You do not have to be in the military or living overseas you just have to be out of the country.

 

Whooo Hoooo, just got forms from our County Election Board that will allow us to receive our ballots by email and vote online!!

 

Cheers, Denise

Edited July 20, 2016 by dchip
Added content

[donaldsc]

I called FVAP.gov. The gentleman I spoke with said to go to my county election office and find out what options they had for me. (On my way there now) If they don't have a way for us to vote, then go back to the FVAP.gov site and you are able to request a write in ballot that can be sent before the cruise. You do not have to be in the military or living overseas you just have to be out of the country.

 

e

 

Voting for federal offices and state and/or local offices is different. FVAP.GOV may be able to give you information about both federal and local voting but they have no control over the rules that each state has for non-federal voting. In fact, some states I believe have succeeded in getting more restrictive voting laws for their state offices.

 

Just wanted to make the difference clear.

 

DON

[dakrewser]

Voting for federal offices and state and/or local offices is different. FVAP.GOV may be able to give you information about both federal and local voting but they have no control over the rules that each state has for non-federal voting. In fact, some states I believe have succeeded in getting more restrictive voting laws for their state offices.

 

Just wanted to make the difference clear.

 

DON

 

 

There's no such thing as a "federal election" in the US; all voting is state, county, city and precinct. We don't vote for a president and vice-president, but for electors who will cast that vote. The electors are elected either state-wide or by congressional district (depending on the state you are registered in). U.S. Senators are elected at the state level, while congresspersons are elected by districts within the states.

 

Kansas, after losing a court challenge, is trying to institute rules that are different for local and state offices, as opposed to national offices, (re: voter identification), but that is also being challenged in court.

[RMLincoln]

yesterday I was able to talk the right person at our county Board of Elections office. She siad that we could use the FVAP postcard application but that that system is geared more for people who are out of the o****ry for multiple elections.

 

She gave me two forms (one for me and one for DH) called "Application for Absentee/Early Voter Ballot". It's very simple, there are only a few boxes... For name, residence address, and Mail Ballot To plus Signature.

 

I was told to fill out the "Mail Ballot To" box with our email address and a comment that says we will be out of the country for just this election, can give dates we are away. We return the form to her either in person or by mail and then They will email us our local ballot to us! It will be the same ballot we would have seen at our precinct with all the general and local choices, bond issues etc. We should receive it approximately 30 days before the election (that would be approx 9 Oct but that's a Sunday so I'm not expecting that) and we just have to make sure we get it returned prior to election day.

 

She said we will have to print out our ballots from the email we receive, and yes it prints on letter size paper. Then fill the ballot our (according to instructions that will come in the email with it) and then we'll have to scan it and email the scans to her office.

 

I think we should be able to do most, if not all, of this on the ship... not positive about the ship being able to scan the ballots and emaill them back for us but I'm hoping so. There may be some nominal charges by the ship but that's only fair for their help. If we have to go to business center we'd have t pay them also.

 

Otherwise we will work it out in a port somewhere along the line, possibly Kona or Hilo or Pago Pago; could have a fall-back option of Papeete, Friday, Nov 4th which will be getting late in the game, so that's our last chance I think.

 

I hope other states and counties can be as cooperative and helpful. I was quite surprised there was an easy process available for us because we are in a very rural area and generally not the most up to date county systems, but I'm hopeful and this person said it should be no problem, she's the one who processes these. :D m--

[dchip]

HI Maureen,

 

We received the exact same forms from our County Election Board.

 

Cheers, Denise

[RMLincoln]

Sorry, it's supposed to say .... out of the country.... don't know what happened. m--

[RMLincoln]

HI Maureen,

 

We received the exact same forms from our County Election Board.

 

Cheers, Denise

 

Denise,

What were the instructions you were given, specifically, what to write in the box on the lower left, "Mail Ballot to"? Thank, m--

[dchip]

Unfortunately, I didn't have an agent that really cared about what she was doing. She just told me to check email/online. I am going to contact the FVAP.gov people when we get ready to fill out the application.

 

I imagine you would just put your email address. You actually got more information than we did!! I also had a question about the return address. My form says "your name and current military or overseas address!! MS Amsterdam?? :D

 

Thank you so very much for bringing up this very important topic!!!

 

Cheers, Denise

[RMLincoln]

Unfortunately, I didn't have an agent that really cared about what she was doing. She just told me to check email/online. I am going to contact the FVAP.gov people when we get ready to fill out the application.

 

I imagine you would just put your email address. You actually got more information than we did!! I also had a question about the return address. My form says "your name and current military or overseas address!! MS Amsterdam?? :D

 

Thank you so very much for bringing up this very important topic!!!

 

Cheers, Denise

 

The form I have is not the FVAP post card application. It is for the Absentee Ballot request and the "mail to" space will be used to give them our email address so our local ballot will be emailed instead of mailed to us.

 

It's possible that AZ or your County isn't set up to do this? The form I have is a NM form. But our clerk said that using the process through the FVAP.gov would work too, just different. Frankly I wasn't too comfortable signing the affirmation on the FVAP form for truthfulness of the information if I said that I resided overseas. So I'm glad to have an alternative. m--

[whogo]

I will vote a month early at the courthouse, don't want to take a chance with delays in absentee ballot mailings.