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VOTING INFORMATION
IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT THE 2010 U.S. ELECTIONS
2010 is an election year in the United States. Every seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and one-third of the seats in the U.S. Senate will be contested. Overseas citizens are eligible to participate in primary, run-off, and special elections that occur throughout the year, as well as in the November general elections.
We strongly encourage you to register to vote and to request your absentee ballot as early in the year as possible. This will ensure that any problems with receiving your ballot can be addressed in advance of the November general elections.
Where do I vote?
U.S. citizens do not vote at U.S. embassies and consulates. The electoral process is administered by the different U.S. states and you vote by mailing an absentee ballot to the state, or territory, where you last resided immediately prior to departing the United States. This applies even if many years have elapsed since your departure from the U.S. and you do not maintain a residence in the state or territory, and the intent to return to that state or territory is uncertain. For more detailed information, please see state specific information from the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at www.fvap.gov
how do I vote?
To apply for voter registration and to request an absentee ballot, American citizens abroad send a form called The Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to the state where they last resided immediately prior to departing the U.S. The Federal Post Card Application may be obtained from the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at www.fvap.gov or a hard copy of the FPCA may also be picked up from any U.S. embassy or consulate. FPCAs may be mailed to your local voting officials in the United States via international mail or from any U.S. embassy or consulate. Please be aware of your state's registration deadline as the deadlines for the different states may vary extensively!
Your local voting officials should mail your absentee ballot 45 days before the general election. Return your voted ballot as early as possible. Be aware of your state's ballot receipt deadline, as well as any postmarking requirements.
Local information
The Voting Assistance Officers at the U.S. Embassy in Rome and the Consulates General in Florence, Milan and Naples are available to answer questions about absentee voting.
To contact the Voting Assistance Officers, call the Consular Section nearest you or send an e-mail to:
For further information you may contact the FVAP toll free number from Italy: 800-784460 or for the Frequently Asked Questions visit http://www.fvap.gov/faq.html
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