US citizens in PH urged to register to vote absentee in US presidential election

Absentee ballot election workers stuff ballot applications at the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections office in Charlotte, North Carolina on September 4, 2020. – The US election is officially open: North Carolina on September 4, 2020 launched vote-by-mail operations for the November 3 contest between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden, which is getting uglier by the day. AFP

MANILA, Philippines – Time is running out for Americans in the Philippines who wish to register to vote absentee in the U.S. Presidential election set for Tuesday, November 3. “I urge my fellow U.S. citizens here in the Philippines to register as quickly as possible,” says Lisa Pagkalinawan, chairperson of Democrats Abroad Philippines. Because of the coronavirus pandemic and fires in the western USA, we expect mail delays,” Pagkalinawan explains.

U.S. law guarantees Americans living abroad the right to vote in U.S. federal elections, but they must register and request their ballot every year in the state where they last lived.

Most states allow overseas voters’ ballots to be submitted by email or fax. But in about 20 states, absentee ballots have to be sent back to voters’ home states by mail—either through the regular postal service, the U.S. Embassy mail system, or international courier service. Many voters in the U.S. because of the coronavirus pandemic, are already casting their ballots by mail, creating additional pressure on the postal system.

The detailed rules for absentee registration and voting varies from state-to-state, but all states accept the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to register and request an absentee ballot. The simplest way to fill out the FPCA is through www.VotefromAbroad.org.

In addition to the presidential and vice-presidential races, the entire House of Representatives is up for reelection as well as one third of the United States Senate. Many states will also have races for governor and other down-ballot positions.

For the past four months, Democrats Abroad volunteers in the Philippines and around the world have been telephoning American citizens living abroad to explain the registration process. “This is probably the most important election in modern times,” says Pagkalinawan. “Moderates, progressives, and independents, we are all pulling together now to restore sane leadership to our nation.”

The following link is to a Reuters article on Americans voting from abroad:

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-usa-elections-overseas-voters/fax-mail-or-dhl-overseas-u-s-voters-fret-ahead-of-nov-3-election-idUSKCN26E25L