About absentee ballots.

[trof]

Voting absentee in Alabama is incredibly (and unnecessarily) complicated.
There is NO 'early voting'.

I won't go into the whole process here, but it involves placing various specific documents into three specific envelopes.

I've done it twice.
I think I'm a pretty smart guy.
Hey, I fill out my own income tax forms.
;-)

But I missed one tiny little thing in one of my attempts at absentee voting.
And my vote was not counted.
So I'm batting 500 in the absentee ballot game.

If you're voting absentee, please be VERY careful and dot ALL the i-s and cross ALL the t-s.

[DesertFlower]

1. it's very easy here in arizona.

1 envelope and 1 form.

[trof]

2. You have to jump so many hoops here you lose track of the hoops.

[Joe the Liberal]

3. Here in Colorado its simple too

They send it you and it comes with instructions,a "secrecy sleeve", your ballot and a return envelope. You fill out the ballot, put it in the "secrecy sleeve" then put it in the return envelope and either mail it back or drop it off at a voting location. Done and done and it beats waiting in line come election day.

[spin]

4. Wow, your system is difficult!

The absentee ballot comes with three envelopes -- one plain (the secrecy envelope), one with an affidavit, or oath, printed on the outside, and one plain envelope, preaddressed (the outer envelope). Once the voter casts the ballot, the procedure is as follows:

* Seal the ballot in the plain envelope
* Place the plain envelope inside the accompanying affidavit envelope
* Seal the affidavit envelope and complete the affidavit that is on the outside of the envelope
* Sign the affidavit and have the signature witnessed by either a notary public or two witnesses 18 years of age or older
* Place the affidavit envelope and a COPY of voter identification inside the outer envelope
* Remember to place a copy of your I.D. (NOT THE ORIGINAL) inside the outer envelope

WITNESSES OR NOTARIZATION
An absentee ballot cannot be counted unless the affidavit is notarized or has the signatures of two witnesses.
http://www.sos.state.al.us/Elections/AbsenteeVotingInfo.aspx

In Florida we use two envelopes and you have to sign your name across the flap after you seal the final envelope. Fairly simple.

[Rwalsh]

5. It's not just Alabama, it's Virginia, too

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/military_ballots_tossed_in_fai.php.

Aha. Just got an email. Problem resolved. They will count.

Pay no attention to this post.

-Post edited to reflect just received info.

[BlooInBloo]

6. Doesn't matter. It'll still be your fault for "not doing enough" to some DUers.