PARIS, Sept 30: Virginia has become the first US state to make use of E-mail for federal election ballots, the Paris-based Association of Americans Resident Overseas reported.

According to AARO’s Tom Rose, the surprise change in Virginia’s voting procedure — and a precedent that is expected to lead to the generalisation of the use of e-mail in future federal US elections, notably the November 2004 poll in which George W. Bush is expected to seek reelection — comes in the wake of the State of Virginia’s decision to declare a “voting emergency.”

The emergency, notes Tom Rose, “allows civilian voters resident in certain counties to receive and send back their ballots for November’s mid-term federal elections by e-mail,” that is, “if they provide an e-mail address on their absentee ballot request.”

According to AARO, the procedure also applies to US voters resident overseas who happen to maintain their residence in Virginia.

The change was notified to AARO by the Federal Voting Assistance Program which has regularly battled to make it easier for Americans resident overseas to vote in US elections, be they federal or local.