Mail Ballots Early for Vote Count

With more than 25 million ballots expected to be mailed this election season, the Postal Service is encouraging voters to mail ballots early to help make sure they meet delivery deadlines set by election officials.
Voters in the contiguous 48 states should mail ballots by November 3, at least three days before the November 6 general election. Ballots mailed from the contiguous states to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands and vice versa should be mailed by November 1, at least five days prior to the election date.
Voters need to consider the time of day when dropping off ballots in a collection box to be sure the pick-up time for the particular box has not passed the suggested mailing deadline.

Americans overseas, including military personnel, should plan on mailing ballots according to the mailing schedule at the Government Service Web page at usps.com.  Mailing information also is available at the local Army Post Office/Fleet Post Office (APO/FPO) and American embassy for deadlines specific to overseas locations.

All American voters living overseas, whether civilian or military, have the opportunity to mail their completed ballots back home free of charge using the APO/FPO or by hand-delivering their ballots to the nearest American embassy or consulate.
USPS also is offering the following tips for voters using mail ballots:

• Visit state websites to determine election office locations and Vote-by-Mail rules.
• Check with local election office for rules governing mail ballots.
• Place completed ballots inside their window envelopes correctly.
• Ensure proper postage and stamp placement on the upper right-hand corner of envelope.

Additional information on Election Mail is available at Election 2012 on Blue.