American Overseas Election Day is November 8

DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENT??  DO SOMETHING POSITIVE BY VOTING.  Your silence allows others to speak for you!!  Americans living overseas, we are now reaching the finish line in returning your ballot to vote!! 

“We all hear that voting is important, but it can be easy to feel discouraged and forget the true significance of your participation in elections.  Voting is essential because it pushes a country’s democracy to function in a fair and equal way. The whole point of a democracy is to ensure that everyone has their chance to elect a candidate and vote for policies that represent and benefit their communities.”  Sophie Partridge-Hicks

Some Americans have already received confirmation of the returned ballot; while other voters don’t feel they should vote.  Depending on your state, it is not too late!!  Interested, then Check the deadline for your ballot based on your state. For American citizens outside the United States, the recommended vote-by day for the 2022 General Election is October 24, 2022.  Refer to your state’s instructions on FVAP.gov for ways to return your completed ballot as some states allow voters to submit ballots online.

“It’s more essential now than ever to cast your ballot. While the importance of voting has probably been hammered into your head since the day you turned 18, some of you probably still wonder, what’s the point?  It’s your civic duty to get out there and vote. Election results can often come down to a select few who decide voting is worth the effort.”  Good Housekeeping

If you requested your ballot but haven’t received it, contact your election office to ask about the status of your ballot request.  If there isn’t enough time to receive and send back your ballot before the election, use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB).  It works like a backup ballot. If your official absentee ballot arrives after sending in the FWAB, fill out and send in the official ballot too. Only one will be counted.

“The Constitution established the United States as a democratic republic. It is democratic because the people govern themselves, and it is a republic because the government’s power is derived from its people. This means that our government – federal, state, and local – is elected by the citizens. Citizens vote for their government officials and these officials represent the concerns and ideas of the citizens in government.  Voting is one important way that we can participate in our democracy.”  Huscis.gov/citizenship

 Voters are strongly encouraged to submit ballots directly to their home states via email or fax where possible.  Where mail-in ballots are the only option, please consider using a courier service to send your ballot directly to your home state to be counted.  Learn more about your state’s voting regulations at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s website (https://www.FVAP.gov/).  

DHL-Israel is offering a 17% discount on courier packages sent to the US. Code USA17

DHL-Israel is offering a 17% discount on courier packages sent to the US.  Code USA17. Most states allow one courier package of  individually sealed voting ballots that are mailed to the same election office.  No matter the number of sealed ballots, but it has to be to the same election office.  “Snail mail” is another option, but it can be stressful due to the problems with international mail.

 As a last resort, eligible voters are permitted to drop off ballots without an appointment at the American Citizen Services Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem or Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv.  Ballots can be dropped off at the drop box outside at the U.S. Embassy Jerusalem from 8:00AM-2:00PM Monday through Friday or inside at the Embassy Branch Office Tel Aviv from 8:00AM-2:00PM on Monday through Friday.  No appointment is necessary.  Please note that it can take up to four weeks for mail to reach its destination if sent by diplomatic pouch.  The diplomatic pouch leaves weekly on Tuesday mornings.  Ballots should be dropped off no later than Monday to be included in the weekly pouch shipment.  Just a reminder that embassies and consulates are not polling places, and eligible voters cannot vote in-person there.  We can only send your ballot to your election office.

 After you send in your ballot, you can check if it was received by your election office.

“Your voices are being heard and you’re proving to our ancestors that their struggles were not in vain. Now we have one more thing we need to do to walk in our true power, and that is to vote.”   — Beyoncé, Grammy Award-winning singer and artist

Yes, you can make a difference!!  Register to vote, vote, return your ballot, make sure your ballot was received, and proudly tell your friends and family that you voted in the US 2022 Midterm Elections!!

YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE