U.S. Vote Foundation | Absentee Ballot Request and Voter Registration Services for All U.S. Voters in All States at Home and Abroad

Can I Vote Absentee? - Get the Widget Today!

Are you wondering: "Can I Vote Absentee?"

Instantly access the answer in one click from U.S. Vote Foundation!

Your voice matters - your vote counts. Don't let the fact that you might not be able to get to the polls stop you from voting. Make it easy with absentee voting! Get your ballot sent to your mailbox and access the convenience of 'vote-by-mail' starting today.

Use the CIVA widget to answer to the question – Can I Vote Absentee? and then access your state's absentee ballot request form. Try it now with the live widget on this page - select your state and you're on your way!

Embed the widget in your own site, post a link to the widget on your social media pages, or read more: www.usvotefoundation.org/can-i-vote-absentee

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NOT GOOD: 4% Turnout for Overseas Voters

No pretty infographic or careful structuring of the informational can hide the tragic fact that even in the last General Election Year of 2012, the OVERSEAS VOTER TURNOUT = 4%. Or, maybe up to 5% in a General Election year. That is (should be) the real headline.

With the millions invested by the states and the FVAP to run the overseas voting program, and with all that has been invested in civic technology by our foundation as well.... That's it? Yes, that is it.

The FVAP document confirms demographic and other information that our foundation already knew from a decade of research and surveying overseas voters. Unfortunately it fails to focus deeply enough on the nonparticipation issue and what can be done about it. The sad reality is that even with the improvements in technology and communications to date, we have not solved the real problems behind the low participation rate of this voting block. Accepting the status quo won't work. We need to expand our thinking on what is holding back participation.

5 Proposed Overseas and Military Voting Reforms follow.

Americans around the world “Vote in Honor of Veterans”

This blog by our dedicated volunteer in Israel, Andee Goldman, originally appeared in the Times of Israel on September 15, 2016.

When Americans go to the polls to vote in November, their history should not be forgotten. The American national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner” was written on September 14, 1814 by Francis Scott Key, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships in the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the large American flag, flying triumphantly above the fort during the fight and victory.

“And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

Many men and women gave not only their time, but their lives to fight and defend American FREEDOM. In honor of veterans, a number of states offer, a little known program called, “Vote in Honor of Veterans”.

Study at Home or Abroad - and Vote in Election 2016!

The November 8, 2016 Presidential Election is on track to be a historical one with a campaign unlike anything the country has ever seen before, a major party’s first female candidate, and a growing number of people pledging to vote for a third party. It’s undeniable that the stakes are high, and as a result we will see record numbers of voters at the polls.

What if you can’t make it to the polls? This is a concern that many college students face as they prepare for the upcoming fall semester. Searching government websites can be a bit daunting.

New! 2016 Voter Outreach Banners

US Vote - Register to Vote Banner Graphic

Looking for a way to reach out to voters and help them find the services they need? We have the answer for you! Post a U.S. Vote Foundation or Overseas Vote banner on your website, blog, Facebook feed, twitter or your next newsletter and link it to https://www.usvotefoundation.org

You may want to post a graphic, or simply to list a service and send voters directly to that. Helping voters find great service is what it's about.

The new 2016 banners are available now in the U.S. Vote Foundation Banner Kit - get your banner now!

Crowdsourcing election data — a success story

U.S. Vote Foundation’s Election Official Directory (EOD) is a crowd-sourced database with 7,825 extensive records. The “crowd” comprises Local Election Officials (LEOs) across the US who regularly update their jurisdiction contact data.

In 2010, the foundation began tracking response rates to update requests that go to LEOs. In the last five years since, the response rate to the update requests doubled from 30 percent to 60 percent. This is a story of dedication in pursuit of an idea and its implementation.

Press Releases

U.S. Vote Foundation Welcomes Michael Steele to its Executive Board

WASHINGTON DC, March 24, 2016 -- U.S. Vote Foundation (US Vote) announced today that Michael Steele, Former Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) has joined its board of directors.

“As we move forward with our mission of informing and enfranchising voters, US Vote will benefit from the leadership of Mr. Steele through its Executive Board,” US Vote President and CEO Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat. “His tremendous political and policy experience coupled with his expertise in communications and advocacy will positively influence the vision and development of the organization.”

“I look forward to further strengthening US Vote and working to enable more voices to be heard in this and future elections. Every citizen’s civic life should have voting as a central action. With US Vote, I hope to bring a new focus to the importance of voting,” stated Mr. Steele who is currently a political analyst at MSNBC where he has worked since 2011 after his successful tenure at the RNC.

The Jerusalem Post, Metro: Making a statement for democracy

This article by Sarah Hershenson was published on 3/10/2016 in The Jerusalem Post, Metro.
Editor: Erica Schachne; Subeditors: Daniel Halberman, Yakir Feldman, Menashe Koren; Graphics: Nechame Rosenstein

The importance – and ease – of casting your ballot in American federal elections from overseas.

"Ballots are stronger than bullets” was a phrase used by Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the US, several times in speeches. Even though he led his country through the Civil War, a period of turbulence and bloodshed, he never lost sight of the democratic ideal.

This November, 151 years later, American citizens of the US will go to the polls to elect a new president and use the power of their ballots to make a statement for democracy.

As of 2010, the US was one of the 115 countries in the world to allow its citizens over the age of 18 who live outside the country the right to vote. Many of the countries that allow for overseas voting have stipulations as to how many years a citizen can be absent from his native land or other limits, but the United States does not.

Consensus Reached on Recommendations Toward the Future of Internet Voting

U.S. Vote Foundation Releases New System Requirements, Specifications, Architecture and Cryptographic Foundations for End-to-End Verifiable Internet Voting

July 10, 2015 – Today’s release of The Future of Voting: End-to-End Verifiable Internet Voting Specification and Feasibility Assessment Study by U.S. Vote Foundation establishes a new reference for the security, usability and transparency requirements essential to the U.S. in any consideration of Internet voting for public elections. Developed by a team of the nation’s leading experts in election integrity, election administration, high-assurance systems engineering, and cryptography, the report starts from the premise that public elections in the U.S. are a matter of national security.

An end-to-end verifiable (E2E-V) voting system allows voters to 1) check that the system recorded their votes correctly; 2) check that the system included their votes in the final tally; 3) count the recorded votes and double-check the announced outcome of the election. An Internet voting system that is end-to-end verifiable is an E2E-VIV system. The new set of system specifications that could eventually lead to a model E2E-VIV system includes an ideal cryptographic foundation, security, audit, and usability considerations, as well as technical approaches to the system architecture.

Absentee Ballot Request and Voter Registration Services for All U.S. Voters in All States at Home and Abroad

My life is unpredictable, but with US Vote, my absentee ballot is on time.

I'd never skip a Midterm Exam... or a Midterm Election. The results are with you for a long time.

With US Vote, my absentee ballot moves with me - wherever I happen to be.

For some of us, it's better when our ballots come right to our desks. U.S. Vote makes it possible.

For me, voting happens in my polling place. And US Vote is how I keep my registration up to date.

With all these schedules to juggle, the best location for my polling place is my desk.

My Voter Account keeps me engaged in civic life back home. I can see who my elected officials are, check deadlines and refile my ballot request with a click.

Examine and explore the possibility of conducting secure elections online.

Election OfficialDirectory

State VotingInformation

My VoterAccount

Discover "My Voter Account" - Your Personal Democracy App

NEW! Discover integrated news content from America's most respected non-partisan political fact-checking site, Factcheck.org.

Get your voting and election information all in one place. Your Voter Account moves with you, stays with you and informs you. It is your personal democracy app.

Can I Vote Absentee? - Get the Widget Today!

Are you wondering: "Can I Vote Absentee?"

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Examine and explore
the possibility
of conducting secure
elections online.

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Directory

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Information

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Account