Absentee Voting

[Denali75]

We are having an important state election on November 4 and I just got off a 35-minute phone call with the Division of Elections about absentee voting. They certainly do make it complicated for people who like to cruise during elections. :)

 

We are going to be on back-to-back Princess cruises from Oct.14 - Nov. 8. We will be in London for about a week before Oct. 14.

 

I won't bore you with all the details. The main issues are: If I want them to mail me a ballot, they won't mail it out until Oct. 10. We will already be in London then. I really don't think the ballot will get to our London hotel in time.

 

The other option is to receive the ballot electronically. This process does not become available until Oct. 20. There are several steps to the process requiring a printer and the ability to scan documents. After I submit the application I will have to wait up to 48 hours until they send me a link to the actual ballot. Then I can either vote online or print out the ballot and mail it in. If I vote online, there is a certificate I will have to print out and scan. Bottom line, I will need access to a printer and a scanner at least twice. I may be able to do parts of this while in a port, but it may interfere with sightseeing.

 

So here are my questions:

 

1. Does anybody know if you can receive mail by having it sent to the Princess port agent at one of the ports? Do I have to go to the port agent's office or would the mail be brought to the ship?

 

2. I have seen printers on board so I know printing can be done, but I'm not sure exactly how. Is it possible to send something to a printer from your iPad? Can I download something from the internet to a file on my iPad and then somehow connect my iPad to the printer when I am offline and print it out? Or do I have to be online while it is printing out?

 

3. Can scanning occur offline? Is there a way to get something scanned on board and then have it e-mailed out?

 

4. How much of my internet time is going to be used in downloading documents and uploading the scanned items to be e-mailed back? For purposes of this question, assume a one-page document, and I will multiply as necessary.

 

If this is going to take 5 or 10 minutes of internet time, I am happy to use it for that, but if it will take 30+minutes, I would like to know ahead of time so I can consider other options.

 

5. I have also thought about going to a place similar to Kinko's (now called FedEx) while at port.

 

6. Does anyone have experience with this situation? How did it work for you?

 

7. Any other ideas or suggestions?

[cactusrose]

Xxx

we are having an important state election on november 4 and i just got off a 35-minute phone call with the division of elections about absentee voting. They certainly do make it complicated for people who like to cruise during elections. :)

we are going to be on back-to-back princess cruises from oct.14 - nov. 8. We will be in london for about a week before oct. 14.

I won't bore you with all the details. The main issues are: If i want them to mail me a ballot, they won't mail it out until oct. 10. We will already be in london then. I really don't think the ballot will get to our london hotel in time.

The other option is to receive the ballot electronically. This process does not become available until oct. 20. There are several steps to the process requiring a printer and the ability to scan documents. After i submit the application i will have to wait up to 48 hours until they send me a link to the actual ballot. Then i can either vote online or print out the ballot and mail it in. If i vote online, there is a certificate i will have to print out and scan. Bottom line, i will need access to a printer and a scanner at least twice. I may be able to do parts of this while in a port, but it may interfere with sightseeing.

So here are my questions:

1. Does anybody know if you can receive mail by having it sent to the princess port agent at one of the ports? Do i have to go to the port agent's office or would the mail be brought to the ship? i'm sure you would need to pick it up. This would be my last resort.

 

2. I have seen printers on board so i know printing can be done, but i'm not sure exactly how. Is it possible to send something to a printer from your ipad? Can i download something from the internet to a file on my ipad and then somehow connect my ipad to the printer when i am offline and print it out? Or do i have to be online while it is printing out? the easiest way is to go to the internet cafe and use one of their computers to access your email. Then you can print from there.

 

3. Can scanning occur offline? Is there a way to get something scanned on board and then have it e-mailed out? the internet manager was kind enough to scan a document for me and send it to my email. Then i was able to forward it on. So this will depend on the internet manager. If i were you i'd give princess a call and find out if this is standard procedure. My document was need to authorize a cremation so they may have made an exception.

 

4. How much of my internet time is going to be used in downloading documents and uploading the scanned items to be e-mailed back? For purposes of this question, assume a one-page document, and i will multiply as necessary.hard to tell how much time it will take. It will depend on the speed of the internet at that time.

if this is going to take 5 or 10 minutes of internet time, i am happy to use it for that, but if it will take 30+minutes, i would like to know ahead of time so i can consider other options.

 

5. I have also thought about going to a place similar to kinko's (now called fedex) while at port.this would be a good option. You can check out locations in each port before you leave

 

6. Does anyone have experience with this situation? How did it work for you?

7. Any other ideas or suggestions?

Edited August 26, 2014 by cactusrose

[Times Prince]

We are having an important state election on November 4 and I just got off a 35-minute phone call with the Division of Elections about absentee voting. They certainly do make it complicated for people who like to cruise during elections. :)

 

We are going to be on back-to-back Princess cruises from Oct.14 - Nov. 8. We will be in London for about a week before Oct. 14.

 

I won't bore you with all the details. The main issues are: If I want them to mail me a ballot, they won't mail it out until Oct. 10. We will already be in London then. I really don't think the ballot will get to our London hotel in time.

 

The other option is to receive the ballot electronically. This process does not become available until Oct. 20. There are several steps to the process requiring a printer and the ability to scan documents. After I submit the application I will have to wait up to 48 hours until they send me a link to the actual ballot. Then I can either vote online or print out the ballot and mail it in. If I vote online, there is a certificate I will have to print out and scan. Bottom line, I will need access to a printer and a scanner at least twice. I may be able to do parts of this while in a port, but it may interfere with sightseeing.

 

So here are my questions:

 

1. Does anybody know if you can receive mail by having it sent to the Princess port agent at one of the ports? Do I have to go to the port agent's office or would the mail be brought to the ship?

 

2. I have seen printers on board so I know printing can be done, but I'm not sure exactly how. Is it possible to send something to a printer from your iPad? Can I download something from the internet to a file on my iPad and then somehow connect my iPad to the printer when I am offline and print it out? Or do I have to be online while it is printing out?

 

3. Can scanning occur offline? Is there a way to get something scanned on board and then have it e-mailed out?

 

4. How much of my internet time is going to be used in downloading documents and uploading the scanned items to be e-mailed back? For purposes of this question, assume a one-page document, and I will multiply as necessary.

 

If this is going to take 5 or 10 minutes of internet time, I am happy to use it for that, but if it will take 30+minutes, I would like to know ahead of time so I can consider other options.

 

5. I have also thought about going to a place similar to Kinko's (now called FedEx) while at port.

 

6. Does anyone have experience with this situation? How did it work for you?

 

7. Any other ideas or suggestions?

It is a shame that many states are making it more difficult for citizens to exercise their rights.

 

I have had the experience of having to print attachments. In my case I had to get a crew member involved (a priest onboard a Christmas cruise), and the internet time I wasted was before I found out Princess blocks printing attachments from the Internet Café computers. This is NOT SUPPORTED in the Internet Café onboard - the software does not allow printing of attachments to emails due to potential for viruses. For any printing of attachments one would have to get the Purser's Office involved.

 

If you have your own laptop/Ipad you might be able to print out the document directly yourself while online (Princess used to have a process for doing this - I've never used it), or save the attachment to a USB key for them to print (their antivirus software would then scan the key before allowing them to access the file).

 

I don't know if they have scan capability, but the issue would be how to attach the scanned document to YOUR email. They might be able to save to your USB key, then back to your laptop to be sent via email attachment from your personal computer.

 

FedEx might work for Faxing and/or doing the USB process above. In any event you would probably have to wait through the entire process, losing valuable cruise or port time.

[Nomsayin]

Can you not go to the election office and cast an absentee ballot before you leave?

[USN59-79]

This happened to me a few years ago while on a Grand Cruise to Asia. I had our ballots sent to the American Embassy in Hong Kong and picked them up there. Worked out fine. This may be another alternative for you.

[Dreamer333]

Can you do everything with your phone?

Screen shot the ballot, use a photo editor to complete the ballot, screen shot your completed ballot, and email back?

[Whimsy]

Ask your county if they have early voting. I did this last March on our cruise. Not sure when they opened up the early voting but it did work out for me.

[jrzebird]

Ask your county if they have early voting. I did this last March on our cruise. Not sure when they opened up the early voting but it did work out for me.

 

I live in New Jersey and they mail out our absentee ballots weeks before the election. I love that we went to the absentee for no reason system, and I requested an absentee ballot for every election. So far it's worked well.

 

I looked up absentee voting and early voting for the State of Alaska, and below is some info: (I highlighted 'by fax' as that would be MUCH easier than all that scanning thing.)

 

 

Absentee voting can also be done electronically or by fax. The application for absentee by electronic transmission ballot can be obtained starting 15 days prior to the election up to the day preceding the election. The ballot must then be returned by election day.[6]

 

Military and overseas voting

For full details, visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program here.

 

Early voting

 

Alaska is one of 34 states that has early voting with no specific requirements as to who can vote early. Early voting begins 15 days before an election and ends on election day.[7] The average number of days prior to an election that voters can cast an early ballot is 21 days in states with a definitive starting date.

 

Hope this helped.

 

Maureen

Edited August 27, 2014 by jrzebird

[Denali75]

Thank you for your helpful suggestions, everyone. Keep them coming.

 

We cannot take advantage of early voting because, as jrzebird noted, it begins 15 days before the election. In this case, the election is Nov 4 and 15 days before that will be October 20 and we will already be on the first leg of our cruise.

 

Same problem with electronic voting, whether by fax or by email. You can't apply for the electronic ballot until 15 days before the election. You have to print out the application form, fill it out, scan it and send it back (or fax it back). You cannot fill out the form online, presumably because you have to sign it.

 

After they receive your application they need to verify it. This takes 24 to 48 hours. Then you will receive an e-mail with a secure link. You can then print out the ballot and a certificate which has to be signed by you and a witness. There is a way to vote the ballot online, but you still must print out the certificate and sign it and get it back to them by scan or snail mail.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

I take it that there is no early voting in Alaska? In Florida we can vote early in an election about 2 weeks prior to the actual date.

Edited August 27, 2014 by Lovetocruiseprincess

[Grannycb]

Have you tried contacting the Special Consular Services in London? There is a link to their email address on this URL: http://london.usembassy.gov/service.html Ask them if they can be of assistance in your particular case.

[-Lew-]

Would you be willing to give a relative or friend a limited power of attorney to vote your ballot in this election? If so, check with the Division of Elections to find out whether they will accept it. If allowed, create it, include your voting preferences, have it motorized and give it to the appointed individual.

 

Lew

[PescadoAmarillo]

Yes, you can have mail sent to the Princess port agent and delivered to the ship. We've done this several times in Fort Lauderdale. However, Princess in CA was of no assistance whatsoever in identifying this option; in fact, they told us it couldn't be done. It was only after we were on the ship and saw carts of boxes being brought onboard every turnaround day for crew members that we thought to ask PSD on the ship, and they provided us with the address. Now, every winter, we call the port agent to verify that it hasn't changed (because it has once).

 

I have no idea how you could get that information for a cruise you're not yet on, unless someone would be willing to get it from a Patter for you ahead of time.

 

If you do go this route, be sure to identify yourself as expecting mail to the PSD. Ask to speak with the Customer Relations Manager who will notify the Hotel Clerk that you are a passenger expecting a package. Even then, it generally takes a day or two to get to us after it's on the ship, because the Hotel Clerk has so much crew/staff/officer mail to sort through. If you have it sent to a port agent in one of the ports and not the turnaround city, it might be faster, but they are probably less accustomed to handling mail going TO the ship than in turnaround cities.

[pablo222]

Yes, you can have mail sent to the Princess port agent and delivered to the ship. We've done this several times in Fort Lauderdale. However, Princess in CA was of no assistance whatsoever in identifying this option; in fact, they told us it couldn't be done. It was only after we were on the ship and saw carts of boxes being brought onboard every turnaround day for crew members that we thought to ask PSD on the ship, and they provided us with the address.

 

One of the headwaiters I know has an amazon prime membership, so perhaps you saw

one of his boxes being brought on board.

 

The address is printed in the disembarcation information, as the

port agent to contact in Ft. Lauderdale.

 

It is also printed on the 'Crew Itinerary', so if you have a good

relationship with someone, it is easy to obtain.

 

I think the issue the original poster will have -- will the election

board pay for postage to Southampton; and even then will the

ballot arrive in time to be mailed back?

 

Mail I send to southampton takes about 10 days (either priority

or first class, no real difference) (from us east coast)

 

This link has the address for Southampton:

 

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/before-you-sail/Ships_mail

 

However, I have no idea if they will forward princess passenger mail.

 

And, depending on the ship, there may be a delay once the

mail is brought on board. For instance, for a friend on Emerald,

I have to message her to go to the crew office and look for mail.

 

On some other ships, the mail goes to the department head, and

eventually to the crew member.

Edited August 27, 2014 by pablo222

[PescadoAmarillo]

One of the headwaiters I know has an amazon prime membership, so perhaps you saw one of his boxes being brought on board.

:D Amazon, Zappos, Drugstore.com, Overstock.com...when the crew has a US address, albeit temporarily, they make good use of it!! DH watched all those boxes being rolled up the ramp to the ship one turnaround and said, "There is no way that we can't get a box of mail delivered to this ship". A conversation with a head waiter sent us to the PSD, and voila...we got mail!

[rkacruiser]

I have had success in getting a ballot mailed to me during a 2 day port stay in Hong Kong. I provided the detailed and lengthy address for the Port Agent to my Board of Elections (Clerk's comment: Do we really need all of that? I don't know we can get all of that on a mailing label.) Well, they did and the ballot envelope was delivered during our first day and I was able to mail it on the 2nd day.

 

When mailing something like that, do not depend upon what the Front Office's personnel tell you about the postage needed. Before mailing, I asked and was quoted a figure that I thought was too low. I took the ballot to the Post Office on Hong Kong Island to mail and the price required was quite a bit different from what I was told on the ship.

 

Good luck with your efforts and thank you for trying to do your duty on Election Day as a citizen!

[RLBlack]

You might try getting acquainted with a member of your roll call (preferably someone on the West Coast) that is not leaving home until the 12th- or is taking the second half of the cruise- ask if you can have the ballots sent their address and they can bring them with them. Then after you vote, you can put them in the mail.

 

On a ship with a few thousand folks- there might be one that would help you out with this problem.

[Nancyquilts]

You might try getting acquainted with a member of your roll call (preferably someone on the West Coast) that is not leaving home until the 12th- or is taking the second half of the cruise- ask if you can have the ballots sent their address and they can bring them with them. Then after you vote, you can put them in the mail.

 

On a ship with a few thousand folks- there might be one that would help you out with this problem.

 

Good solution.:D

[PescadoAmarillo]

You might try getting acquainted with a member of your roll call (preferably someone on the West Coast) that is not leaving home until the 12th- or is taking the second half of the cruise- ask if you can have the ballots sent their address and they can bring them with them. Then after you vote, you can put them in the mail.

 

On a ship with a few thousand folks- there might be one that would help you out with this problem.

 

I did that once with a contact lens (right Suzan?). :D

[jrzebird]

I think you should try the Clerk or the Board of Elections again. Surely there must be a way to get the ballot before you leave. You aren't the first person in the State of Alaska who isn't around for election day or the weeks preceding. They sure do make it difficult to vote in absentia, don't they.

 

Maureen