U.S. troops serving overseas and Americans abroad should have an easier time voting in November.

“If you’re a voter today in the military or overseas, you’re in such a better position to vote successfully than ever in history before” said Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat, president and CEO of the Overseas Vote Foundation.

The federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act of 2009 requires ballots to be sent 45 days before elections, allows for blank ballots to be sent electronically, eliminates notary requirements and makes an emergency ballot easily available.

A January 2009 Pew Center report found that only about a third of military and overseas ballots counted because these groups received ballots too late to return them in time.

Despite the changes, the voting process isn’t perfect for military and overseas voters, Dzieduszycka-Suinat said.

People in remote locations, especially without computer access, might have trouble, she said. Plus, the act does not apply to state and local elections.

“We’re taking baby steps,” Dzieduszycka-Suinat said. “We’re not at the endpoint for any of this.”

By Sarah Jane Capper, News21

Note: This item corrects an error. In some instances witnesses are required for U.S. voters abroad.  A notary is no longer needed, but some states still require a witness, according to @WeVoteAbroad, a project of the the Union of Overseas Voters.