I've heard the same story from about a dozen U.S. citizens so far: the story of the election they missed, because the ballot did not arrive in the mail even though they had registered to vote.
By now, most U.S. citizens who live outside the U.S., and who want to vote in this election, will have already taken steps to make sure they are registered to vote in the place where they last resided. There is a new and improved website for overseas voters:
www.VotefromAbroad.org
But what about already-registered voters who have been checking the mailbox, and found no envelope bearing the official ballot? That's when the voter should turn to the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (the FWAB).
more on the other side
If you know you're registered to vote, but your ballot has not arrived, then you can obtain the paper version of the FWAB from an embassy or consulate; from a voting assistance officer in the military; or from some chapters of Democrats Abroad.
You can download the FWAB from the website of the Federal Voting Assistance Program:
http://www.fvap.gov/...
What happens if you mail your write-in ballot to your election officials, and then your official ballot turns up in the mail the next day? You should vote the official ballot, too, and send it in. Local election officials check to see if a voter's official ballot has arrived in time. If so, then that's the ballot they count.
What about people who haven't registered to vote yet? The new FWAB incorporates the form that is used throughout the U.S. for registration of overseas voters. Some states accept registration of overseas voters until just before Election Day. Thus, some voters who have delayed in registering will be able to vote by way of the FWAB. Find out more at the VotefromAbroad.org site, or from the Federal Voting Assistance Program. Act now.
The Federal Voting Assistance Program offers assistance to overseas voters on-line, and through toll-free numbers available in about 60+ countries. In the U.S. and Canada, the number is 1-800-438-VOTE. You can reach FVAP staff or your own state election officials through the FVAP toll-free number.