Every vote counts.

That’s what some people say, but it does not always ring true.

Four… Every vote counts.

That’s what some people say, but it does not always ring true.

Four years after overseas voting became an issue in Florida during the 2000 presidential election, millions of civilians and soldiers living abroad face a frustrating system of absentee balloting that could prevent their votes from being counted.

According to an article that appeared in The New York Times yesterday, election officials agree that Americans’ overseas might not get ballots in time to cast votes. Of the 15 swing states, eight failed to mail absentee ballots by the Sept. 19 deadline because of late primaries and legal wrangling. Ballots that arrived in Florida too late four years ago became a divisive issue when some were counted while others were disqualified.

Of the eight swing states that missed the 45-day mailing mark, three will accept ballots that arrive after Election Day. The state currently being hit with hurricane after hurricane, formerly known as the Sunshine State, will accept ballots until Nov. 10 — eight days after the election.

There are an estimated 4.4 million eligible voters overseas; approximately 3.9 million of them are civilians. Measures must be taken to ensure that every one of those ballots be sent out in a timely fashion, received on deadline and that each and every vote count.

It isn’t right to count late ballots. If Nov. 2 is the day the country votes, then that is also the day votes are tallied and the night the winner is announced. To ensure all the votes are accounted for, states should work to do all they can to send absentee ballots to registered voters on time. The best way to be on time is to be early.

What is the reason for holding a late primary? Does it draw out the drama of the election? Is this national politics or a Hitchcock film? The United States doesn’t need suspense. We need a system that works. A functional, fair and efficient system is one that operates in a timely fashion.

No state should have a primary after the 45-day mailing mark cutoff for absentee ballots. Yes, it can be that simple! Americans overseas should also educate themselves on the absentee ballot voting procedure. A 2001 examination by the General Accounting Office, now the Government Accountability Office, found that two areas for improvement in overseas voting were late ballot mailings and inadequate public education.

Just as several Americans here will readjust their days to make it to the voting booth, Americans abroad should do all they can to properly fill out the ballot and return it — early. When the polls close, they close.