Reply #18: excellent post -- I am an absentee overseas voters (CA) -- [View All]

from overseas there are two types of absentee voters and ballots -- one is when you are registered with your county precinct and they send you the regular absentee ballot -- this will look no different than the normal one -- it is just sent to your absentee address in this case overseas or in Ohio or whatever state. The second overseas ballot for absentee voting is one which can be used only for the presidential race and is generally filled out by US Citizens who either want to vote and possibly are not registered or who are registered but have not received their absentee ballots in time. These ballots looks different from the printed ones for the state. There was some discussion right after Nov 3rd about more absentee ballots than voters in certain precincts (can't remember which state) and that that was why some precincts in X state were showing more votes than voters. The state involved attempted to explain the matter by saying that they just "assigned" absentee ballots across counties -- that they are not attributed to specific counties. I thought that might be a reasonable explanation however on reflection and asking around it the ballots cast by US citizens who have not received their absentee ballots and are cast only for President --I believe now these ballots have to be put into a specific precinct and these people still have to be registered somewhere specific in the state. Finally the third absentee ballot is the one cast by folks in the same state.