Voting By Mail?

[Velos]

I received a Ballot by Mail Application with a political flyer for the upcoming March 3, 2020 election.  I noticed on the application for ballot by mail that Voters 65 years or older can sign up annually.  Do any other full timers 65 and older using the Escapees Mail Service take advantage of this feature?  If I sign up now will I have to reapply for the November 2020 election?  Thank you.

[Barbaraok]

We send it in EVERY year around the 5th of January.  Mail service just notified us that are ballots are in and we are having them sent to us!

[Velos]

Thank you.

Do you ask for notification of ballots or does the mail service automatically notify you when your ballots arrive?

[Barbaraok]

You have to understand that EVERYONE in Livingston knows about Escapees and often things from governmental entities are bundled up and delivered to Escapees rather than mailed.  When that happens, they make note of the mail boxes and send out an email  like this 

Quote

Dear David and Barbara O'Keeffe,

As an extended benefit of your Escapees mail forwarding service, we are notifying you of receipt of your absentee ballot.

Please allow 24 hours for this document to be processed and filed before calling for a mailing.

Thank you for allowing us to handle your mail forwarding needs.

Travel Safely,
The Escapees Mail Service Team

So I wait 2 days and email my request for mail delivery to wherever we are.  

[Twotoes]

Does that also apply to the Escapees South Dakota address? I usually get an absentee ballot but have not got one yet this year. 

[Velos]

I found this website https://vip.sdsos.gov/VIPLogin.aspx  Where South Dakotan's can check the status of their absentee ballot application:

V.I.P. is provided as a public service by the Secretary of State in cooperation with the County Auditors in each of South Dakota’s 66 counties. This search shows your voter registration information, polling place location and your sample ballot. Sample ballots that may be available for viewing are: Primary, General and some municipal and school ballots. The municipal and school ballots will only show on this site if the municipality and school are combining their election with the county for the State June Primary Election. If you are voting by absentee ballot, this search will also provide you with tracking information regarding the date your absentee ballot application was received, the date your absentee ballot was sent to you, and the date your absentee ballot was received.

 

[Twotoes]

How often do you have to fill out the SD Absentee Ballot Application? I have filed out one before I person and received my absentee ballot in the mail but I have not received a ballot for this years primary yet. Do I need to refile again for 2020? I also see that the application needs to notarized. I don’t remember this requirement in the past! Additionally, where do I mail the application to, Pennington County or the State Capital?

[Velos]

I believe the reason they need to be filled out for each election for those under 65 or annually for those over 65 or disabled is to insure they are going to the current registered voter.

Website for Texas residents printable application for ballot by mail:  
https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/voter/reqabbm.shtml

Here are the instructions from the website above:

Application for a Ballot by Mail

To be eligible to vote early by mail in Texas, you must:

• be 65 years or older;
• be disabled;
• be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or
• be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.

Instructions for submitting an Application for Ballot by Mail (“ABBM”):

1. Print (PDF) the ABBM form
2. OR submit an order online and an ABBM will be mailed to you.
3. Complete Sections 1 through 8.
4. Sign and Date Section 10.
5. If you were unable to sign the application and someone witnessed your signature, that person must complete Section 11.
6. If someone helped you complete the application or mailed the application for you, that person must complete Section 11.
7. Affix postage.
    
   1. If you printed the application you must place it in your own envelope and add postage.
   2. If you ordered the application online and it was mailed to you - fold the application in half, moisten top tab, seal and add postage.
8. Address and mail the completed ABBM to the Early Voting Clerk in your county. You may also fax the application if a fax machine is available in the early voting clerk’s office.  You also have the option of submitting a scanned copy of the completed and signed application to the Early Voting Clerk via email. If an ABBM is faxed or emailed, then the original, hard copy of the application MUST be mailed and received by the early voting clerk no later than the 4th business day.
    
   1. The Early Voting Clerk is the County Clerk or Elections Administrator for your county
   2. Contact information, including fax numbers if available, and email addresses for the Early Voting Clerks are available on this website.

NOTICE: DO NOT MAIL, FAX, OR EMAIL COMPLETED APPLICATIONS FOR BALLOT BY MAIL TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE. ALL APPLICATIONS RECEIVED BY THIS OFFICE WILL BE REJECTED.

Military and overseas voters are welcome to use the regular registration and early voting by mail process available to all voters away from their home county on Election Day. However, there are also special provisions for military and overseas voters.

For more information, please read the Early Voting in Texas pamphlet.

 

[Twotoes]

Thanks for the info Velos. I am over 65 and disabled but not in TX. I am in SD. Looking for info regarding the rules in SD. 

[Velos]

Drilling down on the link in my previous post above is specific information for SD absentee voting:
https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/voting/absentee-voting.aspx
 

Posted Thursday at 06:44 PM

I found this website https://vip.sdsos.gov/VIPLogin.aspx  Where South Dakotan's can check the status of their absentee ballot application:

V.I.P. is provided as a public service by the Secretary of State in cooperation with the County Auditors in each of South Dakota’s 66 counties. This search shows your voter registration information, polling place location and your sample ballot. Sample ballots that may be available for viewing are: Primary, General and some municipal and school ballots. The municipal and school ballots will only show on this site if the municipality and school are combining their election with the county for the State June Primary Election. If you are voting by absentee ballot, this search will also provide you with tracking information regarding the date your absentee ballot application was received, the date your absentee ballot was sent to you, and the date your absentee ballot was received.

 

[Twotoes]

Thanks again Velos. I did go on that site already and entered my info, name etc, and it was all blank. Although I applied in the past I downloaded an Absentee Ballot Application and will send it in. I have to call the Pennington County Register of Voters to get an address and verify that the Application needs to be notarized. I don’t remember having it notarized before but I did it in person last time. I think if I include a copy of my SD Drivers liscense I don’t need to notarize it. Not sure, the form is ambiguous. 

[whj469]

I also used the mail in, Texas, ballot. Just mailed it off last week.

[Barbaraok]

Sending ours out in tomorrows mail!

[fpmtngal]

Amazing how time slips by.  I’m glad this topic came up, not sure I have enough time to get my absentee ballot in time though I applied online today.  I found it interesting that Texas will mail your ballot to your home address if you are using the over 65 reason, but will only mail it to an out of county address if that’s the reason you are requesting one.  Or at least that’s what I thought I read.

[Velos]

Here are a couple more links to help Voters in Texas, South Dakota and Florida:

"2019 is is fairly quiet year for important elections. However, it doesn’t hurt to think ahead and prepare yourself for the excitement of 2020! Across the country, voting in the general election will take place on November 5, 2019 and November 3, 2020. For those of you domiciled in Florida, South Dakota and Texas, keep reading to learn important dates and ensure you are prepared to vote! "

https://www.escapees.com/voting-absentee-2/

 

[Barbaraok]

On 2/9/2020 at 8:06 PM, fpmtngal said:

Amazing how time slips by.  I’m glad this topic came up, not sure I have enough time to get my absentee ballot in time though I applied online today.  I found it interesting that Texas will mail your ballot to your home address if you are using the over 65 reason, but will only mail it to an out of county address if that’s the reason you are requesting one.  Or at least that’s what I thought I read.

That's because they don't have state wide vote-by-mail, that is only available for those over 65 (idea being those over 65 have a more difficult time getting to the polls). Everyone under 65 is suppose to go to the polls, so only those who are not in the county on Election Day can ask  for an absentee ballot.    Wish they had all elections by mail for everyone like they do on the west coast.

[fpmtngal]

There’s a lot I need to learn about Texas, voting being part of it. I don’t feel at all prepared for this primary, so if I don’t get my ballot in time, I won’t be too disappointed. I’m planning on being in Livingston well before the general election, so should have it figured out by then.

I’ve had the ability to vote by mail for a long time (California), but there was just something about stopping at the polls on my way home from work that I found satisfying.  The last time I voted absentee was when I was in the Army and living in Texas, but had retained my California domicile.