SUBJECT:  American Community Security Update - March 1, 2002
 
We use this service to provide you the most up-to-date 
safety and security related information we have available.  
We will continue to do so, sending out messages as soon as 
new information becomes available.

In addition to sharing security-related information, we will 
continue to include news and information about our American 
Citizens Services of a more general nature.

This week's feature includes additional information 
regarding upcoming primary elections in the U.S.


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Security Situation
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The security situation in Japan remains the same with no new 
threat information reported from either the American or the 
Japanese side other than the worldwide caution we 
distributed via this channel on February 1, 2002.


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2002 STATE PRIMARIES BY MONTH
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JANUARY 2002
   No Primaries Scheduled

FEBRUARY 2002
   No Primaries Scheduled

MARCH 2002
   California 3/5
   Illinois 3/19
   Texas 3/12

APRIL 2002
   No Primaries Scheduled

MAY 2002
   Arkansas 5/21
   Idaho 5/28
   Indiana 5/7
   Kentucky 5/28
   Nebraska 5/14
   North Carolina 5/7
   Ohio 5/7
   Oregon 5/21
   Pennsylvania 5/21
   West Virginia 5/14

JUNE 2002
   Alabama 6/4
   Iowa 6/4
   Maine 6/11
   Mississippi 6/4
   Montana 6/4
   New Jersey 6/4
   New Mexico 6/4
   North Dakota 6/11
   South Dakota 6/4
   South Carolina 6/11
   Utah 6/25
   Virginia 6/11

JULY 2002
   Georgia 7/16

AUGUST 2002
   Alaska 8/27
   Colorado 8/13
   Kansas 8/6
   Michigan 8/6
   Missouri 8/6
   Oklahoma 8/27
   Tennessee 8/1
   Wyoming 8/20

SEPTEMBER 2002
   Arizona 9/10
   Connecticut 9/10
   Delaware 9/7
   District of Colombia 9/10
   Florida 9/10
   Guam 9/7
   Hawaii 9/21
   Maryland 9/10
   Massachusetts 9/17
   Minnesota 9/10
   Nevada 9/3
   New Hampshire 9/10
   New York 9/10
   Rhode Island 9/10
   Vermont 9/10
   Virgin Islands 9/14
   Washington 9/17
   Wisconsin 9/10

OCTOBER 2002
   No Primaries Scheduled

NOVEMBER 2002
   Louisiana 11/5

DECEMBER 2002
   No Primaries Scheduled


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Voting from Abroad by Absentee Ballot
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U.S. Citizens overseas are guaranteed 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.)


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The Absentee Voting Process has Four Steps
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   -- You complete and mail a Federal Post Card 
Application (FPCA).

   -- A Local Election Official in your state of 
residence approves your request to register/vote, 
or asks you for more information;

   -- Once approved, a Local Election Official in 
your state of residence mails you an absentee 
ballot;

   -- You complete the ballot, notarize it free 
at the Embassy if needed, and mail it back to 
your state of residence. You can send the FPCA to 
the U.S. for free through the Embassy.


Full details on voting by absentee ballot, including 
information on how to obtain the necessary Federal Post 
Card Application (FPCA), are on our web site at 
http://www.tokyoacs.com.  Under the heading "Living in 
Japan" you'll find a link marked "Voting Abroad by Absentee 
Ballot."