REGISTER & VOTE IN 2010!
To get a ballot go to
www.ovf.org
Request a FPAC
(Federal Post Card Application)
Deadline to apply:
15 September
Ballot should arrive
by 2 October
If it does not arrive in time,
go to www.ovf.org and fill out a FWAB
(Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot)
|
VOTING – NOVEMBER MIDTERM ELECTIONS ARE COMING!
Answers to some basic questions about voting from overseas:
What is my voting address?
The last place you resided in the USA – no matter how long ago.
What materials do I need to vote?
An Absentee Ballot, obtained with a form called the FPCA – Federal Post Card Application.
How do I request an Absentee Ballot?
The
easiest way to get an FPCA is online through the Overseas Vote
Foundation OVF is very
user-friendly. You will access the FPCA and also the address of your
voting district. You can also get a hard copy FPCA thru the Federal
Voting Assistance Program or the American consulate
(0131 556 8315).
When do I need to register?
You should
register each time there is a general (presidential) or midterm
election. Most states will not accept registration applications after
mid-September, so you should aim to register by 15 September to be sure
of receiving your ballot.
Are children born abroad who have never resided in the USA eligible to vote?
In
many states, they can vote in the district of their citizen parent.
It’s worth trying! Recently, the Uniform Law Commission in the US
unanimously approved the new Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act
(UMOVA), which, among other provisions, will enfranchise “citizen
children” born to parents overseas but who have never established
residence as adults in a US state. FAWCO and other overseas
organisations are now working to get individual states to put the Act
into effect.
When should I receive my ballot?
Voting legislation
requires that ballots be sent out at least 45 days before an election.
Your ballot should arrive by 2 October.
What should I do if my ballot does not arrive?
If
you have requested a ballot with the FPCA and it doesn’t arrive in due
time, you are eligible to use the FWAB, the Federal Write-In Absentee
Ballot. To obtain a FWAB, go to the FAWCO voting site and fill
out and send in the FWAB. If the missing ballot arrives afterwards,
vote and mail that one too; the local election official will sort it
out.
Can I get my ballot online?
States are increasingly using
electronic means to deliver ballots. To find out if your state
provides this service, go the FAWCO voting site and access
the State-specific Voter Information Directory. It lists delivery
options and gives links to each state’s website. Electronic delivery is
one more means of helping registered overseas voters to cast valid
votes in every election – take advantage of it!
What if I have a problem?
If
you have a problem, don’t hesitate to call your voting district
directly. Sometimes, they simply do not understand that Americans live
abroad! Report the problem to the Overseas Vote Foundation!
How do I contact Congress?
All
of your representatives can be found by State and/or zip code on this
site. Their email addresses, and
phone numbers are all included. Click on your representative’s name to
get his/her full address in Washington DC and home state.
Sending methods Email Advantage: instant communication
Disadvantage: some overseas servers may be blocked
Most
members of Congress permit constituents to contact them via email
through their website. Typically, one has to enter the zip code of
“residence”; give the zip of your last residence in the U.S., then
explain in your message that you are a voter in her/his constituency
who resides abroad. Fax
Advantage: rapid transmission; is considered as a “hard copy” communication
Disadvantage: need for fax machine
Fax numbers will be listed on this site: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
and on Representatives’ websites.
Letter
Advantage: “hard copy” communication
Disadvantage: delivery may be delayed for weeks for security reasons
Mailing addresses are on this site: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ and on Representatives’ websites. | 2010 is the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment
After a 72-year struggle, the 19th amendment to the US Constitution
(the “Susan B. Anthony amendment”) was ratified in 1920. On her
deathbed in 1906, Anthony told her friend and successor, Reverend Anna
Howard Shaw, “I have been striving for over sixty years for a little
bit of justice no bigger than that, and yet I must die without
obtaining it. Oh, it seems so cruel.”
The 19th amendment permitted American women to vote for the first time
in a national election. Honor the 90th anniversary of the amendment by
casting your vote!
The FAWCO website has an excellent article about the fight for women’s
suffrage: “The Woman’s Vote: Who’s Who” – on the same page as the link
to the FAWCO voter registration site
(http://www.fawco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=110&Itemid=200060).
US Citizens living overseas should vote in 2010 because:
• The US insists upon taxation; you insist upon representation!
• The right to vote was a hard-won right for US Citizens living abroad.
• Local officials and Congress need to be sensitive to US Citizens living abroad.
• Midterm elections are crucial indicators of voter approval/disapproval.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 1 of 5 |
U.S. News and Voting
