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Message for U.S. Citizens

American Citizens Services
U.S. Consulate General
220 Anna Salai, Chennai 600 006, India
Telephone: 91-44-2857-4000; Facsimile: 91-44-2857-4344

E-mail: chennaics@state.gov website: http://chennai.usconsulate.gov 

December 13, 2011 

Dear U.S. citizens: 

Many of you will wish to cast your votes next year in the U.S. Presidential Election, so we’re passing along important voting information.  Please feel free to share it with other U.S. citizens in your area.  

The first U.S. presidential primary elections and caucuses are less than one month away.  If you will be 18 years of age or older before your state’s primary or the November 6 general election and want your voice to be heard from India, don’t delay in registering and requesting your absentee ballot.  

The Consular Section staff at the Consulate General Chennai is ready to assist you with completing your Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) -- the form you need to complete to participate in the 2012 elections as an overseas absentee voter. Our purpose is to inform and educate you about your voting rights, to ensure you are able to exercise your right to participate in elections for federal offices (President, Vice President, Senator, and Representative), and to assist you with voting in state or local elections, if allowed by your state. 

If you are a U.S citizen born outside of the United States, you will need to check with the last state of residence of your U.S. citizen parent to confirm voter eligibility.  Your “legal state of residence” for voting purposes is the state or territory where you last resided immediately prior to departure from the United States.  This applies to overseas citizens even though you may not have property or other ties in your last state of residence and your intent to return to that state may be uncertain.  Please check http://www.fvap.gov for more information.  

Register to Vote and Request Your Ballot 

Submit your registration/ballot request form (FPCA) timed according to your State’s election date requirements as listed below for the January, February and March 2012 Presidential Preference Primaries (P), and State Primaries (S): 

The following states allow you to submit a registration/ballot request form (FPCA) now for the 2012 Primary.  NOTE:  to ensure your request is valid for other 2012 elections, including the November General Presidential election, you must submit ANOTHER FPCA after December 31! 

  • New Hampshire (P):  January 10
  • South Carolina (P):  January 21 

The following states allow you to submit a registration/ballot request form (FPCA) now, which will be valid through the 2012 November Presidential election. 

  • Florida (P):  January 31
  • Missouri (Republican P):  February 7 – NOTE:  No delegates to the Republican National Convention will be selected based on the outcome of this primary.
  • Arizona (P):  February 28
  • Georgia (P):  March 6
  • Ohio (S):  March 6
  • Oklahoma (P):  March 6
  • Tennessee (P):  March 6
  • Texas (P,S):  March 6
  • Virginia (P):  March 6
  • Alabama (P,S):  March 13
  • Mississippi (P,S):  March 13
  • Louisiana (P,S):  March 24 

For the following states, the FPCA is valid only in the year it is submitted.  To ensure your request is valid for all elections in 2012 submit the FPCA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE after December 31. 

  • Michigan (P):  February 28
  • Massachusetts (P):  March 6
  • Vermont (P):  March 6
  • Illinois (P,S):  March 20   

Requesting Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) 

FWAB is a backup ballot.  If 30 days before the election you think you will not receive your state ballot in time to vote and return it, vote the FWAB! Go to http://www.fvap.gov and get started!  This ballot is accepted by all states from any overseas or military voter who has registered and requested a ballot for 2012.  If you receive your state ballot after submitting the FWAB, vote and return it as well.  If both ballots are received by the deadline, only the state ballot will be counted.  

Federal Voting Assistance Program  

If you’d like more information on the Federal Voting Assistance Program or need help with the absentee voting process please go to the www.fvap.gov web portal or call the FVAP at 703-588-1584 (toll free 1-800438-VOTE).  Email the program at vote@fvap.gov .  And don’t forget to “like” us Facebook at www.facebook.com/DoDFVAP and follow @FVAP on Twitter for election updates throughout 2012. 

Sincerely, 

American Citizen Services Unit 

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