U.S. EMBASSY informational MESSAGES

SUBJECT: ILLINOIS TO HOLD A SPECIAL PRIMARY ELECTION ON FEBRUARY 5, 2008 FOR REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE 14TH DISTRICT
January 22, 2008


PLEASE NOTE: This is a corrected version of this News Release, reflecting the date in which voters must return their ballots to the appropriate board of elections as not later than February 8, 2008, so long as the ballot is postmarked by February 4, 2008.

On Tuesday, February 5, 2008 there will be a special primary election in 14th Congressional District of Illinois to fill the seat of Representative Dennis Hastert. To determine if your legal residence is in the 14th Congressional District, you can click on “Communicating with Your Elected Officials”, then “Who is my Representative?” at the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) website, www.fvap.gov/comm/communicating.html.

The winners of this special primary election will compete in a special general election to be held on Saturday, March 8, 2008.

VAOs should contact those citizens they assist who are Illinois voters and inform them of this news release and provide help to them in returning their absentee ballot.

REGISTERING TO VOTE AND REQUESTING A BALLOT:
All members of the U.S. Uniformed Services, their family members and citizens residing outside the U.S. who are Illinois residents from the 14th District should request a ballot for this special primary election by completing and submitting a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), SF-76, as soon as possible, if you have not done so already in calendar year 2008. The online version of the FPCA is available from the FVAP website at www.fvap.gov/pubs/fpca.html. Specific instructions for Illinois are available at: http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/vag/pdfvag/il.pdf.

Voters who are Illinois residents from the 14th District and have already requested a ballot for the Presidential and State Primary on February 5, 2008 will automatically receive this ballot, and need not take any further action.

Because this is a partisan primary election, you must indicate your party affiliation (either Democrat, Republican, or Green) when applying for your ballot.

The County Clerk or Board of Election Commissioners must receive request for absentee ballot not later than Monday, January 28, 2008.

Illinois allows members of the U.S. Uniformed Services and their family members to send the FPCA for ballot request by fax. After faxing, submit the original FPCA by mail. Use the following toll-free fax numbers for the U.S. and Canada: 1-800-368-8683, (703) 693-5527 or DSN 223-5527 (military). At http://www.fvap.gov/services/tollfree.html#fax, there is a list of additional toll-free fax numbers from overseas countries Illinois does not allow faxing of the FPCA for registration.

APPLICATION FOR BALLOT BY PROXY:
If you are a member of the U.S. Service, and your spouse, dependent, mother, father, sister, or brother is registered to vote in your election precinct of voting residence, he or she may use a special application provided by the election official to request that an absentee ballot be mailed to you.

RECEIVING YOUR BALLOT:
Illinois does not allow you to receive the blank ballot by fax.

RETURNING YOUR BALLOT:
When returned, your ballot will be counted if it arrives at the appropriate board of elections not later than February 8, 2008, as long as it is postmarked by February 4, 2008.

Illinois does not allow return of the voted ballot by fax.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
State specific information on your precinct, candidates, elections, and voting is available at the Illinois State Board of Elections website, http://www.elections.state.il.us/.

The FVAP can be contacted via 1-800-438-8683. Citizens may reach the FVAP toll-free from 67 countries using the toll-free numbers listed on the FVAP website, www.fvap.gov/services/tollfree.html. Questions regarding the above may also be referred to the Director, Federal Voting Assistance Program, Department of Defense, 1155 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC, 20301-1155, vote@fvap.ncr.gov and on the World Wide Web at www.fvap.gov.
 

SUBJECT: MASSACHUSETTS EXTENDS BALLOT RECEIPT DEADLINE FOR THE FEBRUARY 5TH PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY FOR MILITARY AND OVERSEAS VOTERS
January 22, 2008

Massachusetts has extended the deadline for returning ballots voted by military and overseas voters to the local election official for the upcoming February 5, 2008 Presidential Primary only. Uniformed Service members, eligible family members, and U.S. citizens residing outside the U.S. are asked to vote their Massachusetts state ballot following the instructions accompanying the ballot and mail it as soon as they receive it.

Voting Assistance Officers should inform Massachusetts voters and provide help as required.

Citizens are encouraged to vote and send their voted ballot no matter how late they receive it, as long as it is postmarked by election day (February 5, 2008) and returned to the Town or City Clerk so that it arrives not later than 15 days after the election (February 20, 2008).

Please note that Massachusetts does not allow receiving the blank ballot or returning the voted ballot by fax or email.

Candidate names for the Presidential Primary election are available at the Secretary of the Commonwealth website at www.sec.state.ma.us/ele. A Notice from the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on this election is available at this site as well.

Questions regarding the above may also be referred to the Director, Federal Voting Assistance Program, Department of Defense, 1155 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1155 or through email: vote@fvap.ncr.gov. Visit the FVAP website at www.fvap.gov