The US Embassy in Georgetown has called on US citizens residing in Guyana to vote in the November 4, US elections, urging, “don’t be left out of this very important election.”
The embassy said in a press release that citizens who have already registered to vote must have requested an absentee ballot by their state’s deadline; and those who have done so should expect to receive their absentee ballot in October. Moreover, the Embassy recommended that the ballot be completed and returned as soon as possible to ensure that it arrives in time to be counted.
According to the release, most states require that the completed ballot be received on or before Election Day on November 4, but there are some states that do have late arrival deadlines for ballots from voters who are living overseas. However, the release added, it is always best to have your ballot arrive on or before Election Day to ensure it is counted.
The Embassy further suggested that US citizens wishing to vote should check their state’s deadlines on the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s website at www.fvap.gov.
And if the state’s registration deadline has not passed, the voter should complete the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to register to vote and request an absentee ballot. The FPCA is also available at the US Embassy in Georgetown.
Meanwhile, if citizens have submitted their FPCA but do not receive their ballots by mid-October, they should use the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB). The FWAB, the release noted, serves as an emergency ballot for voters who registered in time but failed to receive an official ballot from local election officials.
The FWAB is also available at www.fvap.gov or from the US Embassy in Georgetown.
The Embassy further informed that voted ballots, FPCAs and FWABs may be mailed to local voting officials in the United States through first-class international mail, or they can be dropped off at the Consular Section of the US Embassy prior to October 21, 2008. Last-minute voters should consider using a private express courier company, such as Federal Express, DHL or UPS, to deliver their ballots. Some states also accept FPCAs and voted ballots by fax or e-mail, but most do not, the release stated.
At the US Embassy in Georgetown there is a Voting Assistance Officer who is available to answer questions about absentee voting, and the officer can be contacted by calling 225-4900, ext. 4222 or by sending an e-mail to ACSGeorge @state.gov.
