Korean Job Discussion Forums

[dulouz]

Polangers and friends,

I've served as a volunteer voting advisor for Americans living in Poland since I first worked in Lodz in 1994. If you are a US citizen, or know anyone who is, here is a summary of information on voting, or how to get it, for the November 7 elections in all 55 states and territories. There's something or someone worth voting for in every one.

If you have questions that are not answered by this text or the links, write me an e-mail, and I'll get right back to you. For the present I am not in Poland, so there's no phone connection.


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(info as received, with my annotations)
Vote to Make Your Voice Heard
Do you know that US Citizens living abroad can vote in all federal and state elections? This holds true for the upcoming mid-term elections of November 7 when many members of the House of Representatives and the Senate are running for office.

STATE AND LOCAL: There are also 36 Gubernatorial races to be decided this year. Vote in State/Local Elections and ballot issues IF YOU MAINTAIN A RESIDENCE IN YOUR COUNTY in the USA.

MORE THAN YOU MAY WANT TO READ: http://WWW.FVAP. GOV
(The New York Times has an effective interactive tool to help you survey the races for federal offices and governorships -- ).
NYTtimes tool: http://www.nytimes. com/ref/washingt on/2006ELECTIONG UIDE.html?

DO IT NOW!! YOU MUST: 1) GET THE BALLOT from the county where you last lived, and 2) MAIL IT BACK by the deadline for your state.

As an American living overseas, you must request an absentee ballot from the election official in the county where you last resided in the US. We suggest you begin this process immediately as many states have deadlines for absentee ballot requests that fall several weeks before the actual election.

Here are the links that Democrats Abroad and Republicans Abroad have posted on their respective sites to help you, the voter, request your absentee ballot. Remember, once you get your absentee ballot in the mail, you should 'vote it' right away by filling in your selections and sending it back to your home county.

Democrats Abroad: http://www.votefrom abroad.org
Republicans Abroad: http://www.fvap. gov
Others: use the fvap.gov connection: The WWW.FVAP.GOV (Federal Voter Assistance Program) site is the most useful for independents, members of other parties, for reading all the definitions involved, and the top FAQs.

The US Embassy's American Citizens Services office (at www.USINFO.PL) will send you a blank Postcard Application to send to your COUNTY voting office, or you can download the form from the FVAP site.

TOP CONFUSIONS: Here are the FAQ answers to the ones that I've had to answer from people temporarily working/residing in Poland:
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WHAT IS AN ELECTION FOR FEDERAL OFFICE?
-- a general, special, runoff or primary election held for sending someone to Washington (may be part of state/local election ballot)

WHEN SHOULD I APPLY FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT?
-- usually at least 45 days before the election. NOW!, in short. A relative "back home" can request the ballot for you, with proof of relationship, from the local Registrar of Voters, or whatever your state calls the county election office.

WHEN WILL I GET MY BALLOT?
-- county/parish election offices send them to applicants 30 to 45 days before the election, generally.

AND IF IT DOESN'T COME?
-- if it isn't in your hands in time to mail back, you may be able to have a ballot faxed to you, and for some states, you can even fax your voted ballot back. Privacy is waived, of course. Almost no states allow you to vote via e-mail.
-- different states have different rules for voting deadlines. Some allow a (clear) postmark showing you mailed it before the election, others want it in the local election folks' hands by then. Use International Priority mail. Have it hand-postmarked at your local Poczta, to make sure it is readable.

ISN'T THERE A FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSENTEE BALLOT THAT I CAN SEND INSTEAD? (called FWAB)
-- there is, and it can be gotten from the US Embassy's Citizens Services or the Consulate in Krakow, if your ballot hasn't come.
-- most states will allow this method only if you have registered and asked for a ballot, and it hasn't arrived by 2 weeks before the election.

CAN I VOTE AT THE EMBASSY/CONSULATE?
-- NO.

WILL I BE TAXED BY STATE OR LOCAL GOV IF I VOTE?
-- here's the official answer: "Exercising your right to vote in elections for FEDERAL OFFICES ONLY does not affect the determination of residence or domicile for purposes of any tax imposed under federal, state, or local law.

**********
That's all -- except to repeat: FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME BY E-MAIL IF YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM. <richard_reineccius@ yahoo.com>

-Richard.
OK -- all except for this
POSTSCRIPT.. ....
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EXTRA! EXTRA!!
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SOMETHING NEW, just in. Because of controversies after the 2000, 02 and 04 elections, rules in some states have changed somewhat, and the feds have created a new website called IVAS. It may answer more questions.

> The 2006 Integrated Voting Alternative Site
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> The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) would like to
> announce the launch of the 2006 Integrated Voting Alternative Site (IVAS).
> The new section of the FVAP website (www.fvap.gov <http://www.fvap. gov/> )
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> features information from the fifty-five states and territories regarding
> the electronic ballot request and delivery alternatives available to
> citizens covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act
> (UOCAVA).
>
> This effort by the FVAP further informs UOCAVA citizens of their request and
> delivery options during the absentee voting process. The FVAP recognizes
> that due to the nature of absentee voting, accessing electronic alternatives
> to current by-mail voting procedures can greatly assist in ensuring that all
> UOCAVA citizens are enfranchised. Possible electronic alternatives offered
> by various states and territories include:
>
> * Faxing or emailing of the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) for
> Registration
> * Faxing or emailing of the FPCA for Ballot Request
> * Faxing or emailing of the Blank Ballot to citizens
> * Fax or email return of the Voted Ballot
> * Fax-to-email conversion of the above via the Department of Defense
> Electronic Transmission Service
>
> Each state and territory has differing laws regarding the use of electronic
> transmission alternatives to the by-mail process with respect to absentee
> voting materials.
>
(and more, mostly for military or Dept of Defense employees abroad)

[R. S. Refugee]

Good to know. Thanks for posting.

Now have you got any tips on how to keep a corrupt electoral system from giving my vote to a right-winger that I didn't vote for? Not meaning to be picky or anything. Viva Almo.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[dulouz]

This is a C&P from a Yahoo group. I did not write the message. I have only visited Poland in my dearest, dearest dreams.

[dulouz]

[Ya-ta Boy]

[OiGirl]

In my voting district, I can check online that my absentee ballot was received/presumably counted. Doesn't help for presidential elections (I LOVE the electoral college system!), but could make a difference in a midterm election.