Democracy Begins at Home and Abroad: Voter Registration Tools for U.S. Students Studying Abroad

June 2007 Page 1ADP 2007 – OVF Presentation

ADP 2007 - Panel Presentation

Democracy Begins at Home and Abroad:Voter Registration Tools

for U.S. Students Studying Abroad

Overseas Vote Foundation

Marina Mecl - Director, Voter Outreach

ADP 2007 - Panel Presentation: Democracy Begins at Home and Abroad



Can I vote while I’m abroad?



At 11:20 PM 2/18/2007, you wrote:

i am a us citizen and have recently moved overseas and am no longer an official resident of any state. am i still eligible to vote? - gaby



2005

205,983 Americans students studied

abroad in 2005

56% chose affordable summer programs

38% studied abroad for one semester

6% studied abroad a full academic year



2008

If numbers increase at the same rate per year,

more than 100,000 students may well be

studying abroad on an official program for a

semester or a year in 2008.



Key Question

Why do voters often find it confusing or

difficult to register to vote and request an

absentee ballot from abroad?



Registration form issues

The overseas voter registration form (FPCA) - same for all states and territories

Information requirements vary from state to state

Some states offer ‘alternative’ methods of registering to vote from overseas



Form facts

Awareness of the form and how to obtain it is

limited

Consulates and Embassies have limited hours

and accessibility

The same form functions as a ‘change of

address’ form











Outreach in 2006



Volunteers





Press and Publicity









University Study Abroad Programs







Featured Site: San Mateo County,California

HOME pagehttp://www.shapethefuture.org/default.asp

The Blazer Abroad

Blog Entry Sep 1, 2006





Consulates and Embassies





Featured Site: US Department of State

http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/1875.htm



Preparing for 2008



Strategies

Sustain and expand our presence in the English

media abroad – paper and online

Contact study abroad departments at universities

and colleges

Contact foreign universities

Offer OVF Internships



Tactics

Implement Google AdWords online advertising to target college and university study abroad students

Double our volunteer team

Contact campus newspapers and magazines at home and abroad

Create an Overseas Student Voter group in Facebook



Additional tactics

Print card kits

Design and launch a post election survey

specifically designed for students

Increase publicity in foreign print newspapers



Collaboration

Continue to collaborate with groups in the U.S. who are

dedicated to stimulating and increasing student civic and

electoral participation

AmericanDemocracy Project

Rock the Vote

Project Vote Smart

League of Women Voters

National Campus Voter Registration Project



Please inform students studying

abroad about voting in 2008



How you can help

Contact your university study abroad office reminding

them to inform students about voting before they leave

Link to www.overseasvotefoundation.org in handbooks,

websites and newsletters

Ask your school’s study abroad department to contact their

offices overseas

Contact OVF for outreach card kits and bulletin board

notices



Thank you

OVF thanks the American Democracy Project for its

ongoing support and the opportunity to share

overseas voter information with ADP conference

participants

Documents

Democracy Begins at Home and Abroad: Voter Registration Tools for U.S. Students Studying Abroad