What is the voting process? First step we registered at Vote from Abroad. The site facilitates registration. It includes sections on myths about voting from abroad and the facts about voting from abroad. If you are an American living abroad and haven't registered - do it today, there should still be time. This same process applies to US military on overseas assignment.
We vote in North Carolina (the specific process may vary from state to state). To assure that we receive an absentee ballot for all Federal, state, and local elections that we can vote in, we register every year at the vote from abroad site. In 2008 when I was teaching in Penang, Malaysia the ballots (primary and general election) arrived by mail. This year our ballots arrived by email (on September 11, 2012). We have the option of requesting ballots by mail or electronically and we can return our ballots by mail, fax, or email (as an attachment). If we fax or email a ballot we include signed forms affirming that we meet overseas voter requirements and waiving our right to privacy. In 2008 I was required to have two persons sign the envelop affirming that I was the person who had voted.
Political actors turn over slowly. We were familiar with all the candidates, except for some judges and the candidates for county Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor. Google came in handy. The North Carolina Bar Association had information on the judges. And we found other on-line sites to fill in the gaps. Much easier than going to the voting station trying to remember who is who! North Carolina prohibits taking materials into the voting booth.
