A July 4th Voting Reminder
A July 4th Voting Reminder
A July 4th Voting Reminder
Happy 4th of July! U.S. citizens around the globe will soon mark the 236th anniversary of our Nation’s Independence Day with family and community gatherings, food, and fireworks. For U.S. citizens living outside the United States, the 4th of July is an opportunity for all of us, regardless of political affiliation, to celebrate our shared values as citizens of the United States of America.
Have a say in our country’s future. One of our most treasured values is the right and the privilege to vote – to participate actively in our country’s democratic process. This November, U.S. citizens will elect a President, a Vice President, one-third of the Senate, and the entire House of Representatives. The U.S. Embassy in Poland encourages all U.S. citizens to participate in this year’s elections, and stands ready to help you vote.
Almost all overseas U.S. citizens can vote. Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia now allow adult children who have never resided in the United States to vote using their parents’ state of voting residence. Details are available on the FVAP website at http://www.fvap.gov/reference/nvr-res.html.
Register and request a ballot. To vote, new laws require you to complete and submit a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) this calendar year. The FPCA allows you to register to vote and request an absentee ballot. If you haven’t yet done so, we urge you to do so now. The easiest way to complete it is online at www.FVAP.gov. Depending on your State’s rules, you then send it to your local election officials electronically or by mail.
Mailing guidance. Print out the completed FPCA and the (U.S.) postage-paid envelope containing the address of your local election officials. You can drop off the postage-paid envelope (containing your FPCA) at the Embassy, and we will mail it back home for you without the need to pay international postage. If it’s easier for you to use Poland's postal system, be sure to affix sufficient international postage and allow sufficient time for international mail delivery. If you bring your forms or ballots to the Embassy, we will mail them to the U.S. for you without charging for international mail. The Embassy will place a date stamp and seal on your ballot as evidence of the date and location from which the ballot was mailed. However, this is not a postmark. Diplomatic pouch to the east coast takes approximately six days to reach the diplomatic pouch facility near Washington, D.C. Processing and onward delivery by the U.S. Postal Service to local election officials across the U.S. can take up to a week.
Make your vote count! Follow your State’s absentee voting procedures carefully. Send in your FPCA before the registration deadline. When you get your ballot, vote and mail it promptly so it reaches local election officials by your State’s absentee ballot receipt deadline.
Questions? If you have any questions about registering to vote, please contact U.S. Embassy Warsaw's Voting Assistance Officer at +22 504 2784, or at acswarsaw@state.gov.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: New absentee voting laws are in effect for the 2012 elections. You may no longer automatically receive ballots based on a previous absentee ballot request. All U.S. citizens outside the United States who want to vote by absentee ballot in U.S. elections should complete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) every year. States are now required to send out ballots 45 days before an election. No matter what State you vote in, you can now ask your local election officials to provide your blank ballots to you electronically (by email, internet download, or fax, depending on your State). You can now also confirm your registration and ballot delivery online. Be sure to include your email address on the form to take advantage of the electronic ballot delivery option. This is the fastest and most reliable way to receive your ballot on time, and we strongly recommend every voter take advantage of it. Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program's (FVAP) website at www.FVAP.gov.
We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens and nationals traveling to or residing in Poland to enroll in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Enrolling allows you to receive updated information about areas abroad, and makes it easier for the U.S. Embassy or Consulate to contact you or your designated contact in case of an emergency.
You can get global updates at the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs website, where you can find the Worldwide Caution and current Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information. If you don't have Internet access, you can call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. and Canada, or outside the U.S. and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.
The U.S Embassy in Warsaw is located at Al. Ujazdowskie 29/31 (tel: +48-22-504-2000) and is open to the public by appointment Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., excluding Polish and American holidays and one working Friday of each month. Appointments may also be scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. In the event of emergency, you may contact the Embassy duty officer after hours at tel: +48-22-504-2000. Appointment calendar is available at http://poland.usembassy.gov/service.html.