Message for U.S. Citizens #12

September 21, 2010

Absentee Voter Ballot Registration Information

The Consulate recommends that voters send a new registration form for absentee voting this year with an email address (or the email address of a nearby family member or friend) included, and indicate your delivery preference.  In the absence of an electronic delivery preference, your absentee ballot will be delivered in hard copy. 

 Overseas Absentee Ballot Requests
 
Effective immediately, states will no longer be required by federal law to continue to mail election materials to overseas addresses for two complete general election cycles on the basis of a single ballot request.  It will now be up to each state to determine how long to continue to send out election materials before requiring overseas voters to submit new ballot requests. 

State Department Recommendations
 
In light of these changes, the Department of State  recommends that all U.S. voters residing abroad request absentee ballots from their local election officials at the start of each calendar year, and whenever there is a change of address, change of e-mail address, or change of name, by completing and sending in a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).  To locate information on your specific state’s requirements, and to obtain an on-line version of the FPCA, please visit www.fvap.gov.  Voters may also pick up a hard copy of the FPCA from any U.S. embassy or consulate. 

Emergency Ballots
 
The Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) serves as an emergency ballot for the November general elections for federal offices, although some states also permit its use for elections for state and local offices.  Beginning in January 2011, the new law allows use of the FWAB for primary, special, and runoff elections for federal offices.  Voters who request an absentee ballot in advance of their state’s ballot request deadline, but who fail to receive an official ballot from local election officials in time to vote, should complete the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot and send it back to local election officials in time for it to be counted.  An on-line version of the FWAB, together with instructions for its use, is available at www.fvap.gov. 

Questions?
 
The Voting Assistance Officer at the Embassy in Ankara is also always available to answer questions about absentee voting.  To contact the Voting Assistance Officer, call American Citizen Services at 90 312 455 5555 or send an e-mail to CA-Ankara@state.gov. 
 
Contact information for the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Turkey:
 
The U.S. Embassy in Ankara is located at 110 Ataturk Boulevard, tel: (90)(312) 455-5555, fax (90)(312) 468-6131.  Internet address of U.S. Embassy in Ankara (http://ankara.usembassy.gov).
 
The U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul is located at Kaplicalar Mevkii Sokak No. 2, 34460, Istinye, Sariyer, tel: (90) (212) 335-9000, fax (90) (212) 335-9102.  Istanbul-specific information can also be accessed via the Consulate's web site at (http://istanbul.usconsulate.gov).
 
The U.S. Consulate in Adana is located at Girne Bulvari No. 212, Guzelevler Mahallesi, Yuregir, Adana, Turkey. tel: (90)(322) 346-6262, fax (90)(322) 346-7916, U.S. Consulate in Adana web site (http://adana.usconsulate.gov).
 
The Consular Agency in Izmir can be contacted at (90)(232) 464-8755.