All U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote may register to vote absentee in this year’s elections. If you are already in Costa Rica, Democrats Abroad (
www.democratsabroad.org) is hosting a nonpartisan Get Out The Vote event this Saturday, September 27 on the 3rd floor of the Aurola Holiday Inn in downtown San José. Help will be on-hand at the event, and registering to vote absentee will be clearly explained. You may also regsiter before the event (September 27 is the last eligible day to register) by visiting
www.VoteFromAbroad.org. For those already registered, a drop-in Voting Center will be available; just bring a form of ID (driver’s license or U.S. passport), the U.S. address where you were last registered to vote and your Social Security number.
If you can’t make it to the Democrats Abroad event, registering to vote absentee is still a simple process:
-Go to fvap.gov (the Federal Voting Assistance Program), select your status, and proceed through the simple questions.
-You will be asked to select your state - each state has its own absentee voting regulations, and may accept different forms of absentee voting. -Determine whether your state accepts alternative transmissions, i.e. those sent by fax, email, and telephone.
-If you vote from a state that allows for alternative voting transmission, download form SF-76 — the Registration and Absentee Ballot Request, or FPCA — and fill it out.
-If you will be voting by email or fax, download and fill out the transmittal sheet, which will accompany your email/fax.
-Your best bet is to email or fax the FPCA form directly to the local election office in your home state. If for any reason you cannot do that, you may email your request to
ets@fvap.ncr.gov or fax the form to any of the 52 toll-free international fax numbers listed on the website. Costa Rica’s international toll-free fax number is 0800-012-1163. For questions, call the toll-free phone line at 0800-012-1201 (from Costa Rica only).
-After sending your FPCA by fax or email, you must still print out your form and mail it into your local election office. When your FPCA is received, it will be approved or you will be contacted for more information.
-Once approved, you will be sent an absentee ballot. Fill out the ballot and return it according to your state’s requirements.
Voting from abroad may seem complicated, but the Federal Voting Assistance Program and partisan groups like Democrats Abroad have worked to streamline the process for all involved. If you’re already in Costa Rica, I encourage you to attend this weekend’s Get Out the Vote Event - as mentioned, the voter registration area is completely nonpartisan and all are welcome. Register to vote, and make your voice heard!
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