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American Voting FAQ's
In a Presidential election year, the American Consulate always
receive questions about how to vote. Many Americans living overseas
believe that it is difficult, if not downright impossible, to register
and vote absentee. After the Presidential elections of 2000, where
the state of Florida's outcome was decided by absentee ballots,
no one can comfortably say that their vote doesn't count. Here are
some of the most commonly asked questions that we receive about
how you can vote in the upcoming Presidential elections on November
2, 2005.
1. How Can I Get Registered to Vote?
Voting absentee is pretty straightforward, and registering to vote
can be done in two ways, without ever leaving Merida. First, you
can go online to www.fvap.gov
and fill out the online registration and absentee ballot request.
Once you have completed this form, simply print it out and bring
it to the Consulate. We will put it in the US postal service for
you, free of charge. You can mail it yourself, but sometimes the
local mail service can be unreliable. Unfortunately, there still
isn't a way to register completely online.
If you are internet-challenged, you can come to the Consulate and
we will give you the Federal Post Card Application, which will both
register you as a voter and request that an absentee ballot be sent
to your home. Again, we will mail it for you through our diplomatic
pouch. If your state is one of the very few that requires that the
request be notarized, we'll do that for you, too.
2. But I Haven't Lived In the U.S. For Years. Can I Still Vote?
Absolutely. You can use the last address that you had in the United
States as your registration address, and your local address as your
mailing address. Even if you haven't lived in the U.S. in many years,
you are still eligible to vote at your last place of residence however
long ago you lived there. If you have never lived in the United
States, but have relatives or friends there, you may use their address.
You might not be able to vote in local or state elections, but you
are certainly eligible to vote in federal elections.
3. If I Register to Vote, Will I Have to Pay State Taxes?
No. Registering to vote absentee in federal elections will not cause
you to have a state tax liability in the United States.
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4. When Is The Last Day That I Can Register to Vote?
To ensure that your ballot arrives on time, we recommend that you
request your absentee ballot NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 15. That will
allow your state enough time to send you the absentee ballot.
5. I Received My Ballot and It Is Ready to Mail. Now What?
Once you have received your ballot, you can bring it to the Consulate
during normal business hours and we will mail it back to your state
for you. If you need a notarization, we will take care of that,
too. This service is free of charge.
6. Help! My Ballot Didn't Arrive In Time. What Do I Do?
Never fear, just come to the Consulate and you can complete a Federal
Write-In Ballot that we will send to your state in time for your
vote to be counted. In order to use this type of ballot, you have
to have already registered to vote absentee and just haven't received
the ballot.
If you have any other questions about voting, please come in and
see us or send us an e-mail at consularmerida@state.gov. There are
also registration forms available at the Merida English Library,
the Consular Agencies in both Cancun and Cozumel, and we are holding
a voter registration drive in Progreso on August 13, venue to be
determined.
Remember, voting is both a right and a privilege, and your vote
does count.
For information on these and similar subjects, go to our Ask the Consul page.
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