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 Vallarta Living | June 2008 
Being Outside the U.S. Doesn't Mean You Can't Vote!
 Paul Crist - Democrats Abroad Mexico
| | For more information, contact Susan Wichterman at 044-322-303-5181 or by email at mexicoms(at)hotmail.com. | | |
American citizens living in the Costa Banderas region will have no excuse for not voting in the U.S. Presidential Elections on November 4, 2008. The Costa Banderas Chapter of Democrats Abroad Mexico is offering two easy ways for eligible voters to request and mail their absentee ballots. You don't have to be a Democrat to take advantage of the service. The project is non-partisan, and open to any eligible voter from any political party in the U.S.
1. On any Wednesday afternoon, from 1 pm to 3 pm beginning June 18, volunteers will be available at Mailboxes Etc. (Av. Fco. Medina Ascensio #2180, right down the block from Plaza Caracol, and next to the tire center) to assist you in the process. All you need to do is bring the address of the last place you lived in the US. A Post Office Box is not acceptable. It must be street name and number, city, state and zip code. Democrats Abroad volunteers will help you with the rest.
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2. U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote can also use the website VoteFromAbroad.org. On this site, you will be asked to fill out a series of questions regarding your US and overseas addresses, party affiliation preference, etc. Based on your responses, a pre-filled form can be downloaded, printed, and must then be mailed to your US voting jurisdiction. The address of your local Board of Elections will be included, based on the U.S. address you provide. When you close the browser window, your data is automatically removed from the site.
Throughout the summer and early fall, the Costa Banderas Democrats Abroad chapter will be available to assist voters both in requesting absentee ballots and with returning voted ballots to local election districts.
A special mailbox has been reserved at Mailboxes Etc. to receive all blank absentee ballots. Volunteers will contact voters when their ballot has arrived. You will be asked to pick it up; vote your preferences for U.S. President, Congressional races, and any local election candidates or issues in your voting district. Your ballot will then be sealed, stamped, and delivered to the U.S. Consulate office in Nuevo Vallarta for transfer to the U.S. by diplomatic pouch. Once in the U.S. your voted ballot will be mailed to your local district to be counted.
For those who are not registered to vote, even if you've never voted, you can register to vote in the fall elections. Any U.S. citizen who is eligible to vote may register in the last place of legal residence in the U.S. where you lived, even if you no longer have a residence in the U.S. Democrats Abroad volunteers will be happy to assist and answer all of your questions any Wednesday, 1 pm to 3 pm, from June 18 through September 17, at the Mailboxes Etc. store.
A $50 peso donation is requested to help defray postage and handling costs.
Federal law allows citizens abroad and citizens in the uniformed services to register to vote only in the state that they last resided. If you never lived in the US, you may be able to vote using the address where your American parent(s) last lived. Voting in federal elections cannot be used to affect the determination of federal or state tax liability.
For more information, contact Susan Wichterman at 044-322-303-5181 or by email at mexicoms(at)hotmail.com. |
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