International Labor Disruptions Require Additional Preparations for American Voters Overseas
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - If you are a U.S. citizen currently living in a foreign country, labor strikes in the areas of commercial transportation, government service or postal carriers, etc., can directly impact your preparations and readiness for voting in the Presidential election. With recent news of a potential postal labor strike in Canada, the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) reminds overseas citizens to prepare accordingly if you intend to vote by absentee ballot in the 2016 General Election. Here are a few key reminders for preparation.
- If you previously submitted your absentee ballot application (Federal Post Card Application) and indicated you would like to receive your blank ballot by mail, you may want to consider submitting a new form with your preference to receive it by email. Go to www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter/registration-ballots.
- Confirm receipt of your absentee ballot application or ballot with your election office. You can find your election office's contact information at www.fvap.gov/info/contact.
- Once you receive your absentee ballot, be sure to check the return methods permitted by your State as some offer alternative methods for returning voted ballots such as email or fax. Find your State's absentee voting guidelines at www.fvap.gov/guide.
- Contact your nearest embassy or consulate location to determine their policies for the acceptance and drop-off requirements for mailing ballots. Refer to www.usembassy.gov for contact information.
- You can also consider mailing your ballot by a commercial courier service, such as FedEx, DHL or UPS. However, please note you would be responsible for paying for the service.
- Visit www.fvap.gov/guide/upcoming-elections for a list of upcoming State primaries.
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If you experience any issues or have questions, FVAP's call center is available at 1-800-438-VOTE (8683), DSN 425-1584 or at vote@fvap.gov. Toll-free phone numbers from 67 countries are listed at FVAP.gov. Find us on Facebook at /DoDFVAP and follow @FVAP on Twitter.
