Voter Registration

Warden Message: Sending Your Ballot

American citizens should have already mailed their absentee ballots for the November 4, 2008 presidential and general elections. Mail transmission from the U.S. Embassy and Consulate General to the United States takes approximately 10 days. Ballots submitted to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General now may not arrive in the United States by November 4.

Forgot to mail your ballot?

Although the U.S. Embassy can transmit your ballot free of charge, it is too late to guarantee arrival by November 4. Voters who have not yet mailed their absentee ballots should consider alternate means including express courier. A few states also accept completed ballots by fax or e-mail.

Check the Voting Assistance Guide for your state’s deadlines and fax/e-mail options.

Ballot hasn’t arrived?

If your ballot has not arrived, use the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB). The FWAB serves as an emergency ballot for voters who registered in time but fail to receive an official ballot from local election officials. The FWAB is available at www.fvap.gov or from any U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

If your regular state ballot arrives after you have mailed the FWAB, complete and mail the state ballot as well.

Questions?

The Voting Assistance Officer at the U.S. Consulate is available to answer questions about absentee voting. To contact the Voting Assistance Officer, call 022 26 71 51 or send an e-mail to VoteCasablanca@state.gov.

Mailing Options for Voting Materials

Voters in Morocco have a number of options for mailing Federal Postcard Applications, voted state ballots, and Federal Write-in Absentee Ballots to their local election officials in the United States. Mailing addresses for local election officials and state mailing deadlines can be found in the Voting Assistance Guide, available on-line at www.fvap.gov.

First Class Mail: You may mail your Federal Postcard Application or voted ballot to the United States through the Moroccan mail system, with appropriate international postage. Mail to the U.S. takes approximately 2 weeks.
APO Military Mail: APO mail to the United States takes approximately two weeks. Voters should submit their ballots to the U.S. Consulate no later than October 17 for APO mail. Ballots must be postage-paid or have first-class U.S. postage (42 cents).
Diplomatic Pouch: Diplomatic pouch to the East Coast takes approximately two weeks. Processing of mail at the diplomatic pouch facility in the Washington, D.C. area and onward delivery by the U.S. Postal Service to local election officials across the U.S. can take another one to four days. The Consular Section will place a date stamp and seal on your ballot as evidence of the date and location from which the ballot was mailed. However, this is not a postmark. Voters should make every effort to submit their ballots to the U.S. Embassy no later than October 14 for diplomatic pouch mail.
Express Courier: Last-minute voters can use express courier services such as FedEx, UPS and DHL to send their voted ballots to all states and territories except Alabama. Express courier companies cannot deliver to post office boxes, so you will need to know the street address of your local voting official in the United States. Mail sent by express courier companies is not postmarked. Contact information for some local express courier companies follows:
Fed Ex: www.fedex.com or https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/overseas/ExpressYourVote.htm, 022-54-12-12. From September 15 to October 29, FedEx will ship voted ballots from Morocco to the U.S. for a 10% discount.
UPS: www.ups.com. 022-48-36-36. UPS will ship voted ballots from Morocco to the U.S. for a 35% discount.
DHL: www.dhl.com. 022-97-20-20. DHL will ship voted ballots from Morocco to the U.S. for a 50% discount.

Frequently Asked Questions: What is my legal state of residence?
Your "legal state of residence" for voting purposes is the state in which you last resided immediately prior to your departure from the U.S. This right extends to overseas citizens even though they may no longer own property or have other ties to their last state of residence and their intent to return to that state may be uncertain.
Keep in mind that exercising your right to vote in elections for Federal offices only does not affect the determination of residence or domicile for purposes of any tax imposed under Federal, state or local law. Voting in an election for Federal office only may not be used as the sole basis to determine residency for the purposes of imposing state and local taxes. If you claim a particular state as your residence and have other ties with that state in addition to voting then you may be liable for state and local taxation, depending upon that particular state law. Appendix E of the 2004-05 Voting Assistance Guide contains information on probable tax obligations. Consult your legal counsel for specific questions.
Is it possible to register to vote or cast my ballot electronically?
Often, transmitting voting materials by mail may delay timely receipt and return of materials. When such conditions exist, possibly preventing an individual from voting, faxing may be possible. Generally, there are three possibilities or combinations allowed by states:
1. Send the FPCA or registration and ballot request by fax.
2. Receive the blank ballot by fax.
3. Return the voted ballot by fax.
The Voting Assistance Guide explains the fax process, each state's procedures and provides a fax cover sheet. Always mail the original FPCA and voted ballot after faxing.
After casting my vote, how do I return my absentee ballot to the U.S.?
You can return your absentee ballot to the U.S. by mailing it to the United States from your local Moroccan post office (postage required). You can also send your ballot or ballot request by DHL. For more details, please contact your local DHL office. Alternatively, you can submit your completed ballot to the U.S. Consulate General American Citizen Services section during normal business hours for no-cost shipment to the U.S.
In some states, you may also be able to return your ballot by fax. Check your state's Voting Assistance Guide for more information.
What if I have not received my absentee ballot by early October?
States and territories normally distribute ballots 30-45 days before the election. Please note that in most states three conditions must be fulfilled: 1) the voter must be overseas, 2) the voter must have applied for a regular ballot with their local election official at least 30 days before the election, 3) the voter has not received the requested ballot.
Will I be taxed by my last state or territory of residence if I vote absentee?
Exercising your right to vote in elections for Federal offices only, does not affect the determination of residence or domicile for purposes of any tax imposed under Federal, state, or local law. Voting in an election for Federal office only may not be used as the sole basis to determine residency for the purpose of imposing state and local taxes. If you claim a particular state or territory as your residence and have other ties with that state or territory in addition to voting, then you may be liable for state and local taxation, depending upon the laws of that particular state or territory.
From Frequently Asked Questions, Federal Voting Assistance Program Website http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/faq.html
How can I contact the Consulate Voting Assistance Officer?
The U.S. Consulate General Voting Assistance Officer can be reached at acscasablanca@state.gov. Please address you inquiry to the Voting Assistance Officer.

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