Absentee ballots fail to arrive; back-up alternative offered
By Daphna Berman
With just under three weeks to go before the American election, local political activists are scrambling to find alternatives for a significant number of Americans who are still waiting for their absentee ballots. Polls in many states show the margin between the two candidates to be razor-thin, and representatives from both parties are working overtime to make sure that voters here take full advantage of a federal write-in absentee ballot, or "back up" ballot - the only recourse for many voters who want to make sure that their voices are heard come November 2.
"We're recommending that people take the matter into their own hands and get a write-in
because they may never receive the regular forms," Kory Bardash, chair of Republicans Abroad in Israel said. "We hear from various offices to sit tight, but with that said, we're literally three weeks before the election and ballots need to get there by election day or the day before."
The federal write-in absentee ballot (FWAB), which was first used in 1988, allows potential voters to literally write their choice of candidate on a blank line. Voters can designate candidates for the Senate and Congress as well, but unlike the state absentee ballots many sent away for, voters do not usually select candidates for local positions such as mayor or city commissioner. The FWAB was designed as an alternative for overseas voters who were faced with unpredictable mail service and unnavigable bureaucracy. It hasn't been used en masse in recent presidential elections, but some activists here predict that up to one third of Americans living in Israel will be forced to use their write-in ballots this year.
"The local boards are overwhelmed and a good many people overseas, not just in Israel, won't get their ballots in time," predicted David Froehlich, overseas voting coordinator in Israel and honorary chair of the local Democrats Abroad chapter. "What I hear from Washington is that nationwide, everyone is swamped and local boards are working day and night to get the paperwork done in time. I've never seen anything like it."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/489020.html