US study abroad students urged to send vote home

STUDENTS from the US heading to France for the new academic year are being advised to register to vote to ensure they can take part in their own country's presidential elections.

The Youth Vote Overseas (YVO) is an initiative promoted by the Overseas Vote Foundation (OVF), which is a a nonprofit, non-partisan charitable organisation.

The YVO service has tried to make it a simple process for US students to register to vote, with the first step being to the registration deadline for each state as they are different.

The General Election Deadline Chart will let voters find out when their voter registration application must be received by their local election official.

It is possible to register to vote through the Youth Vote Overseas website, click on the Register to Vote button and there are four steps to complete for your registration.

You’ll be asked for the information required by your state. Don’t forget to print, sign, and mail the form to your local election official. The YVO wizard automatically provides you with this address.

This year, US voters will elect a president and vice president, all 435 members of the US House of Representatives, and 33 members of the US Senate.

And it is worth remembering that as an overseas voter, you need to submit a new voter registration application every calendar year if you want to take part in the electoral process.