Crunch Time for U.S. Overseas/Absentee Voting

Crunch Time for U.S. Overseas/Absentee Voting

If you have already registered to vote in the U.S., have received your ballot, and have returned it, you can ignore the rest of this email. But first PLEASE forward this email to overseas U.S. citizen friends who may not be enrolled* to receive these emails from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City.

As discussed extensively athttp://www.fvap.gov/, which is the one-stop website for every issue related to voting by overseas U.S. voters, there are two basic steps for an overseas/absentee voter:

1. Register to vote and request an absentee ballot: Both tasks can be accomplished by completing the Federal Post Card Application or FPCA and mailing to the listed election official in your U.S. state of residence using the postage-paid envelopes (or review your state’s other methods of receiving this form—some will receive by email or fax).

2. Return your completed absentee ballot. If you completed step #1 above, you should be receiving a ballot specific to your voting district either by mail, email, or fax. If you have not received your ballot by the first week in October, we suggest that you contact the election officials in your district to inquire on the status (see extensive contact information for your state on http://www.fvap.gov/). IF AN ABSENTEE BALLOT IS NOT RECEIVED, the American citizen may choose to use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). The following is more guidance from FVAP’s FAQs on use of the FWAB.

When should I receive my ballot? What happens if I do not receive a ballot from my local election office? States and territories begin mailing ballots at least 45 days before an election.

If you have not received your ballot one month before the election:
— Go to http://www.fvap.gov// and see what online ballot delivery tools are available for your state.
— Use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB)wizard available at FVAP.gov to complete a back-up ballot and submit it to your local election official.
— Contact your local election official to determine the status of your ballot. Contact information is available at FVAP.gov.
— When you receive your regular absentee ballot, complete it and return it regardless of when you receive it. Your local election official will ensure that only one of the ballots is counted. All FWABs must be completed, printed, signed, dated, and submitted to your local election official. Check out your state's instructions to determine your state specific instructions, witness requirements for voted ballots, deadlines, and mailing addresses.

If you have requested an absentee ballot from your State but have not received it, you can also vote by using the back-up Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). You may submit the FWAB at any time after you submit your FPCA.
In order to be eligible to use this back-up ballot, you must:
— Be absent from your voting residence;
— Have applied for a regular ballot early enough so the request is received by the appropriate local election official not later than the State deadline or the date that is 30 days before the general election; AND
— Have not received the requested regular absentee ballot from the State.

Regarding MAILING, the Embassy can accept for mailing all materials that are clearly for voting-related purposes (e.g. addressed to a local election official) and which either use the postage-paid envelope template or have US postage affixed. You can’t go wrong using the provided envelope template (which you can print out on a blank envelope or attach the pertinent information on to an envelope). Because of transit time and delays in entering the U.S. we recommend that any materials mailed through the Embassy are received by the Embassy at least 2 weeks before the local deadline. If you drop off your voting material at the consular agencies in Acapulco, Ixtapa, Oaxaca or San Miguel de Allende, we ask that the voting material be received by the Agency at least 3 weeks before the U.S. local deadline. This will allow time for the materials to arrive in the U.S. on time. Americans can also mail their materials directly to local election officials in the U.S. through international mail but must be careful to provide sufficient postage.

If you have any questions, please write to us at ACSMexicoCity@state.gov.
* If you did not receive this message directly from ACSMexicoCity@state.gov, you are not enrolled with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City with your current email address and should re-enroll in the Smart Travelers Enrollment Program (STEP).

Democrats Abroad Mexico, Lake Chapala Chapter, will be taking ballots to the consulate for mailing in the diplomatic pouch. Bring completed ballots to the Debate Watch Parties at Salvadors [see ad in the Reporter]

I already got my Colorado online ballot so be watching.

You can also drop your ballot off at LCS. There will also be someone to help you register from 10-noon on Friday.

Democracy and representative government,
the essence of our political system,
born in revolution,
tempered by war and depression,
are now threatened by apathy.
If you don't participate,
someone else will control
your children's education,
the safety of your community,
and the air you breathe.
Read. Listen. Participate. Vote.
Colorado State Senator Ken Gordon