PRESS RELEASE: Apply for an Absentee Ballot, State Democracy Foundation

Contact: Ken Laureys, Executive Director, StateDemocracy Foundation
Phone: 301-661-6682
Email: Ken.Laureys@StateDemocracy.org

Voters can beat the deadline to apply for an Absentee Ballot (see table of state deadlines below) by using easy-to-complete official forms available for FREE through www.StateDemocracy.org. After submitting these applications to their election board, voters then receive the actual absentee ballot, with sufficient time to return the ballot prior to the final deadline, which is the November 4th Election Day in most states.

Some states require specific reasons to vote by absentee ballot--such as a disability, military duty or not being home on Election Day. Other states don't require any reason, and many voters find absentee ballots more convenient. With an unprecedented surge in voter registration this year, more citizens may be eager to vote by absentee ballots to avoid long lines at the polls.

All the voting requirements specified by a particular state -- concerning absentee balloting, as well as voting hours, identification, write-ins, etc. are presented at the StateDemocracy.org website. In addition, this completely FREE one-stop public service portal also offers a host of other voter tools, including

• A Polling Place Locator for any precinct nationwide
• Links to all state and local Election Boards
• Links to lawmakers on the federal level and in all 50 states

StateDemocracy.org also offers free widgets that other websites can install to help their own visitors get absentee ballots or find their local polling place.

Since 2001, hundreds of thousands of citizens have benefited from the multitude of online civic engagement tools available at www.StateDemocracy.org to accomplish its mission of "Delivering Democracy to your Desktop!"

Absentee Ballot Application Deadlines

State (Chronologically)	2008 Deadline for a Mailed Application Requesting an Absentee Ballot
Alabama	By October 30
Alaska	By October 25
Arizona	By October 24
Arkansas	By October 28
California	By October 28
Colorado	By October 24
Connecticut	By October 21
Delaware	By October 31
Dist. of Columbia	By October 28
Florida	By October 29
Georgia	By October 31
Hawaii	By October 28
Idaho	By October 29
Illinois	By October 30
Indiana	By October 27
Iowa	By October 31
Kansas	By October 31
Kentucky	By October 28
Louisiana	By October 31
Maine	By October 21
Maryland	By October 28
Massachusetts	By November 3
Michigan	By November 1
Minnesota	By October 21
Mississippi	By October 21
Missouri	By October 29
Montana	By November 3
Nebraska	By October 27
Nevada	By October 28
New Hampshire	By October 21.
New Jersey	By October 28
New Mexico	By October 31
New York	By October 28
North Carolina	By October 28
North Dakota	By October 21
Ohio	By November 1
Oklahoma	By October 29
Oregon	By October 31
Pennsylvania	By October 28
Rhode Island	By October 14
South Carolina	By October 31
South Dakota	By November 4 at 3 pm
Tennessee	By October 28
Texas	By October 28
Utah	By October 31
Vermont	By November 3
Virginia	By October 28
Washington	By October 21
West Virginia	By October 29
Wisconsin	By October 30
Wyoming	By October 21

Footnotes:

Absentee Data from: http://www.longdistancevoter.org/absentee_ballot_deadlines

Voter Registration Data from: http://www.rockthevote.com/electioncenter/