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Vote 2004 |
Absentee Voting for U.S. CitizensPlease note: You cannot vote at the Embassy
Link to Federal Voting Assistance Program and Voting Assistance Guide: www.fvap.gov.
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) guarantees United States citizens overseas the right to vote in federal elections in the United States. (Federal elections include primaries, general and special elections for the President, Vice President, U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives to Congress.) The UOCAVA applies only to federal elections. However, many states in the United States have enacted legislation whereby certain categories of citizens residing overseas can vote by absentee ballot for state or local officials. The same procedures for obtaining local election ballots are used for obtaining federal election ballots.
In order to vote in either federal or state elections in the United States, most states require citizens residing abroad to register in the state of his or her “voting residence.” A voting residence is the legal residence or domicile in which the voter could vote if present in that state. Military and Merchant marine members, their spouses and dependents, may register to vote in the domicile (state) that the member claims as his or her residence. Civilian U.S. government employees overseas, their spouses and dependents, will generally register in the state they claim as their legal residence. In accordance with the UOCAVA, overseas citizens (not affiliated to the US Government) must vote in their last state of residence immediately prior to departure from the United States. This applies even if many years have elapsed and the voter maintains no abode nor has any intention of returning to that State.
How to Vote
Applying for the ballot: The Embassy does not supply voting ballots. You cannot vote at the Embassy. You must request your absentee ballot using a form known as the FPCA-Federal Post Card Application. The instructions for completing the form in accordance with your state’s requirements are available in the 2003-2004 Voting Assistance Guide. Information from the Guide, including state-by-state instructions for requesting absentee ballots and voting and the on-line version of the FPCA are available at www.fvap.gov. American Samoa, Guam and Ohio do not accept the on-line version of the FPCA. FPCA’s may also be picked up from the Consular Section at the Embassy during public service hours – 1-4 pm, Sunday through Thursday (except U.S. and Iraqi holidays).
Note: In some states, one FPCA will get you both the Primary and the General Election ballots. In others, you need to send a separate FPCA prior to each election.
What do I do with the FPCA? Fill out the FPCA using the instructions attached to the postcard. If you have difficulty in reading or understanding any English language materials relating to voting or voter registration, please ask the consular staff for assistance. If you have questions about the instructions or need to know the address of the official to whom the postcard should be addressed, consult the Voting Assistance Guide extract for your state.
Notarization: In some cases the FPCA must be notarized before an American consular officer or notary public abroad. If your state requires that you take an oath to the contents of the FPCA, bring it to the Consular Section for notarization along with your passport during public service hours (1-4 pm, Sunday through Thursday, except U.S. and Iraqi holidays). All notarial services on voting materials are performed free of charge.
Mailing: An FPCA may be mailed, free of postage, through the Embassy’s APO mail system if the envelope indicates that postage has been pre-paid. If you have a week to meet the deadline, DHL or Fed-Ex or other expedited mail service may be the most expeditious way of mailing the form. Some states may allow you to fax your FPCA and you should review the Voting Assistance Guide to see if this option is available for your state.
Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot: Overseas voters may be eligible to use the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) to vote for federal offices (President/Vice President, Senator and Representative). The FWAB may be used only for general elections and is a backup for voters who expect to be able to use the regular absentee ballot from their state or territory but who did not receive that ballot in time to vote and return it. The FWAB must be received by the local election official no later than the deadline for receipt of regular absentee ballots under state law. The FWAB is to be used to assist those voters who would be disenfranchised through no fault of their own, and it is not designed as a replacement for the regular state ballot. It is valid only when your application for a regular absentee ballot was mailed in time to be received by your local election official 30 days prior to this election or when this requirement has been waived by the appropriate local election authority. When you send in the FWAB you must swear or affirm under penalty of perjury that the above is true.
FWABs can be picked up in person at the Consular Section of the Embassy.
Denial of right to vote: Any person who believes that he or she has been wrongfully denied the right to vote should follow the procedures outlined in the voting Assistance guide. Alternatively, contact the Civil Rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. 20520
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