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I Voted
I only just got my ballot today so I filled it out and sent it off within the hour. It cost $13.50 to send it back and I’m not sure it will arrive in time. They say two weeks and that’s pretty much on the edge of when it’s due back, five days post election…or the first business day after that. I hope it works but I will likely never know. At least I have tried. Next election I will request the ballot much earlier. There is only one race listed on the ballot, which I find interesting. It was for the House of Representatives.
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Absentee
It’s that time of year to request an absentee ballot for the upcoming election. I know I should have requested this earlier but I seem to have mostly thought about it when I wasn’t in the right place to handle it. I tried doing it on my phone but had a couple of issues. Anyway, I got it done today and it still tells me I need to send the paper copy. We ended up getting window envelopes last time we bought any and we rarely send mail so we have heaps left and they don’t seal properly. Plus we didn’t mean to have window ones. So I spent an hour trying to tape a printed address over it due my general incompetence with tape, I guess. LOL I did get it sorted out and then it cost me $3.20 AUD to post it. And it was such a pretty stamp I thought it was such a waste to send it where it wouldn’t be appreciated. Tonight I saw I got an email back from the copy I sent online and was told I actually didn’t have to send a paper copy. Sigh.
Looking forward to getting my ballot. I’m seriously considering making an appointment to drop it off at the consulate to speed things along. As much of a hassle as going to the consulate is.
Another American I know here already has a ballot but is delaying the opening of the mail due to covid-19. She’s in an area where cases have been spiking so I guess that’s understandable. Not sure whether I will be too worried for mine when it gets here unless community transmission returns. (We had two people who flew to Western Australia without an exemption and then they broke quarantine in the hotel to visit someone in the area. I can only hope they weren’t contagious. All it takes is one person after all. I think they came from South Australia so it’s probably okay but it’s really bad when people do this sort of thing. )
In related news, my blocking of a family members posts on Facebook has left me blissfully unaware of what is being posted. Less stress for me. Yay!
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Voted
I voted! I don’t ordinarily vote in mid-term elections because there’s just not a lot to vote on. But I realised I am registered in Texas and I had a way to cast vote away from Ted Cruz. So I requested a ballot and sent it off today. I know it’s kind of late but I think it will still get there within the two weeks left.
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Relief
After checking many times in the past week, I can confirm my absentee ballot was received. So glad my vote will be counted.
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Voting
I voted but I’m not so optimistic my ballot will be counted. I had a horrible time finding parking in the city so my brain was a bit jumbled…I also stupidly waited until I was parked to fill out the ballot. So I did the actual ballot just fine and put it into the envelope and sealed it…then signed it…before I realized I had put the ballot into the wrong envelope. There was another envelope that I was supposed to put the ballot in. That envelope was supposed to go into the one to mail it back…sigh…
Anyway, I got to the consulate and found they have added something new to the hoops to get to the thirteenth floor. For the first many years here, I just took the elevator to the floor and went through the security scanner before going into the office. Four years ago, I found out I needed my passport to get in and I also had to go through security on the fourth floor and leave all my belongings in a locker before being put on the elevator for the thirteenth floor. This time, I still had to go through the fourth floor but also had to take off my shoes and put them through the x-ray machine. I also managed to set off the alarm, apparently by accidentally touching the side…don’t remember that. Once I got the to thirteenth floor, I had to go through yet another metal detector and that security guard unlocked the door for me to go through.
I got to the counter for American Citizen Services and rang the bell as nobody was there. The consular officer opened the outside envelope and put everything where it was supposed to go. Then he applied the consular seal and consular tape…Hopefully that will be okay but I am not overly optimistic…Of course, I will never know, will I?