News & Updates - U.S. Info & FAWCO Info

The Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas (FAWCO) has great resources for U.S. and non-U.S. citizens.  Visit their website to learn more:  www.fawco.org.

VOTER REGISTRATION FOR U.S. ELECTIONS

Adult U.S. citizens living overseas can vote in U.S. elections. The process for registering to vote is different, but not more difficult than in the States. Please read the following information for how to proceed. Remember that YOUR VOTE COUNTS!.

• You vote absentee in the Election District of your last residence in the U.S. before you left to live abroad. You must know the exact address of this residence. Several states allow the children of at least one U.S. parent to vote from the same address, even if they have never lived there.

• Any time during an election year you may submit to your Election District a filled-in Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). This will serve both to register, if necessary, and to request an absentee ballot for the election that year. This must be done at least 45 days before the election.

• If you apply to vote in your state's Primary Election, you must request another application to vote in the General Election in November.

• By law, the act of voting from overseas for Federal office only (President, Vice President, U.S. Senator and Representative) cannot be used as a reason to change your tax status. Voting a full ballot (state and local offices) may be possible, depending on your state.

• As the organization of elections is a state's right under the U.S. Constitution, each state has different regulations. Consult the Federal Voter Assistance Program (FVAP) for your state's rules, a copy of the FPCA and the address to which you should send the application, all accessible on the website given below.

• You can also submit an on-line FPCA (OFPCA) for ALL STATES AND TERRITORIES. If you choose this option, click here for an OFPCA. On the page that opens, read the info, then click on the link to get the form. You will see a list of states in three columns. Choose your state OFPCA in the first column. The instructions to fill out the form are easiest to read when you open the Voter Assistance Guide (VAG) in the third column. Once you have filled the form, print it out, sign it, and mail it to your county electoral board, as per instructions.

• The website of the FVAP is www.fvap.gov. Queries can be sent to vote@fvap.ncr.gov. The FVAP toll-free number in Switzerland is 0800-89-56-23. All U.S. Embassies and Consulates also have Voter Assistance Officers and supplies of materials to help you.

• The website of the Federation of American Women's Clubs is www.fawco.org. Click on Voting from Overseas, and you will find continuously updated information.

• Other useful links: www.democratsabroad.org; www.republicansabroad.org.

• In our Club, Laetitia Kranendonk has volunteered to assist with any questions concerning voter registration and absentee ballots. Please e-mail her.

• Info culled from FAWCO and FVAP sources.

OTHER INFORMATION FOR U.S. CITIZENS AND TRAVELLERS

• The U.S. Embassy's website is www.usembassy.ch. The Consular section of the Embassy is open Monday through Friday from 9h00 to 11h30. It can be reached by e-mail at bernacs@state.gov, by Tel. at 031 357 72 34, and by Fax at 031 357 72 80 (the telephone service hours are: M-F, 8h30 - 12h30, and 13h30 - 17h30). The mailing address is Jubilaumsstrasse 95, CH-3005 Bern. The 24-hour Emergency Number is: 031 357 72 18.

• The Geneva Consular Agency is at Rue Versonnex 7, CH-1207 Geneva.(Tel: 022 840 51 60; Fax: 022 840 51 62; e-mail: consulate.us@ties.itu.int. Opening hours are M-F, 10h00 - 13h00. However, until further notice, the agency is offering sharply reduced services. It will register new residents, provide information, hand out forms (including IRS documents) and accept applications, but these will be forwarded to Bern for processing.

• The State Department travel advisory can be found at www.travel.state.gov.

• When travelling to and from the U.S., it is highly recommended that you consult the website of the Transportation Security Administration at www.tsa.gov. You will find the latest in safety alerts, travel tips, and a detailed list of items allowed or not in checked and carry-on baggage. You might also want to consult the Customs and Border Protection's website at www.cbp.gov.

• Since December 2003, new regulations are in effect concerning the importation of food and beverages into the U.S. Contrary to some rumors circulating, you can still bring chocolates, processed food, wines and certain cheeses in your cabin baggage when you travel to the States, if you declare them to customs officers on arrival (but do not put chocolate or cheese in your checked baggage -- while it is allowed, it will trigger a hand search of your bags; the density of these items is picked up on X-ray machines). However, you now need to get a prior notice registration number before sending food items through the mail (it can be done online). For details, please go to this page on the Food and Drug Administration website.