Try giving more than 1 weeks' notice by mail if you want it to arrive in time.     
Then again in today's society, individuals arent responsible for anything.  its always someone or something else's fault.
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what I'm saying is that I was told it was sent- and its still not here- its over with, but I can do without the lies- does that not bother you at all?

I recieved mail from my parents a day after the ballot was supposedly sent- got here 3 days later. Like I said- this isn't sour grapes over the result- just the way things are done down in Florida.
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Government employees who lie?  This just in: The sun will rise in the east and set in the west.  Stay tuned.
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that doesnt make it right. They had plenty of time to mail me the ballot- based on what they told me, I took a day off work, which I can't afford to do, AND bought an overnight fed ex thingy *to be scientific.)

Guess I take the election process more serious than they do.....maybe I should have flown into orbit, and found that astronaut- they found a way for him to vote.
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I didn't say it did.  However, understanding that the average government employee doesn't give a stevestojan about much of anything will make you much happier the next time around.  Never leave anything important to someone else.
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My absentee ballot still has not arrived. Forget the outcome of the election- the fact that I was not allowed to vote still has me POed
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Why did you need an absentee ballot.  I have friends that said they didn't want to wait  in line and  got absentee ballots.  Lazy if you ask me.  In fact I thought you had to have a legit reason for asking for an absentee ballot, (e.g., military, proof of vacation plans, etc...).  I believe if the government deems your excuse not legit, they can refuse you an absentee ballot.  In fact, I know it.
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"In fact" you're wrong. The rules on absentee ballots are up to the individual states. Here in California any registered voter may request an absentee ballot for any reason (or actually for no reason, since there's not even a place to write in a reason). You just call up your county clerk's office and request an application be sent to you. Fill it out, send it back, and for the rest of your life, as long as you vote in all eligible elections and keep your mailing address current they'll send you out an absentee ballot about three weeks before the election.  (Caveat: I only speak from personal experience on this about LA County, as I didn't know about voting absentee when I lived up in Nevada County).

As to why people do it? There are many reasons, and I don't presume to judge others. I personally think it would be rather stupid for me to wait in line all day to accomplish exactly the same thing that can be done in 5 minutes by licking a stamp. I guess I'd rather be thought of as lazy than stupid. If I want to demonstrate "sacrifice" or something I can find more meaningful ways of doing it than missing work, clogging traffic, and waiting in a polling line.
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Absentee Voting allows you to cast a vote when you notify your county board of elections that on Election Day:

you will be absent from your county,
you are 62 years old or older,
you or a family member will be in the hospital,
you have a physical disability preventing you from getting to the polling place,
you are an elections official or board of elections employee,
you have religious reasons for not being able to vote on Election Day,
you will be in jail, under sentence, or awaiting trial,
you are on active duty with an organized militia, or
you are confined to a hospital because of a medical emergency on Election Day.
http://www.lakewoodrepublicans.8m.com/#3

Why did you need an absentee ballot.  I have friends that said they didn't want to wait  in line and  got absentee ballots.  Lazy if you ask me.  In fact I thought you had to have a legit reason for asking for an absentee ballot, (e.g., military, proof of vacation plans, etc...).  I believe if the government deems your excuse not legit, they can refuse you an absentee ballot.  In fact, I know it.
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Okay, I didn't realize it varied that much by state.  I know in NY when I voted in the military, I had to certify why.  BTW, here are Ohio's rules:
I believe Virginia is pretty much the same.  Otherwise, if you cannot certify one of the above conditions, you are required to go to your polling place and wait in line like everyone else.  Again, that is if you want to "legally" vote.
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Permanent Absentee Voting (PAV)

Any registered voter may apply for permanent absentee voter status. If you are a permanent absentee voter, you will automatically receive an absentee ballot for each election. To become a permanent absentee voter, you must complete an application, which is available from your county elections official.

If you complete an application to become a permanent absentee voter, you will retain this status as long as you vote in all statewide primary and general elections. If you fail to cast a ballot in a statewide general election, you will be removed from the permanent absent voter list and will need to reapply in order to restore status.