Voting action plan
(CT:CON-983; 05-24-2023)
(Office of Origin: CA/OCS)
7 fAM 1531 TRAINING
(CT:CON-983; 05-24-2023)
a. You play a critical role in assisting citizens covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) to request registration and a ballot to vote absentee. You also play an important role in training your voting assistant(s) and volunteers so they can assist citizens in registration and voting. Online training is available through the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) Web site and is required for officers and staff providing voting assistance (see 7 FAM 1513). Voting assistance officers are encouraged to review the Voting Toolkit on CAWeb for detailed guidance on providing voting assistance. You are encouraged to hold voting information briefings for your volunteers and/or U.S. citizens/voters in your consular district.
b. Workshops: In addition to online training each election cycle a small number of posts will receive voting assistance workshops organized by FVAP to help Voting Assistance Officers and voters better understand the entire process. These workshops are primarily a tool to assists posts with training community volunteers to assist with voting assistance. Posts are surveyed for their interest in receiving a workshop for the next election cycle in odd numbered non-election years.
7 FAM 1532 dissemination of information
(CT:CON-983; 05-24-2023)
a. Initiate outreach programs tailored to your post and the local U.S. citizen community. For example, consider using the following to spread voting information:
(1) Social Media Postings (see Voting Toolkit on CAWeb for pre-cleared Social Media posts)
(2) Outreach events with Private U.S. citizens groups (large employers of U.S. citizens, American Chamber of Commerce, universities hosting study abroad programs, religious groups hosting missionaries, American schools)
(3) Embassy staff and country team meetings;
(4) Citizen Liaison Volunteers (CLVs);
(5) Town hall meetings – think about adding voting information to other town hall or outreach events (Pre-cleared town hall talking points are available in the Voting Toolkit on CAWeb);
(6) Fourth of July celebration;
(7) Absentee Voting week (late September in Election Years);
(8) Post website (all post websites must include basic content on how voters can access voting assistance at post);
(9) Prison visits; and
|
Note: Whether U.S. citizens who are incarcerated or convicted of a felony abroad can vote in a State or local election is a matter of U.S. State law. |
(10) Workshops for large companies, overseas schools, study abroad programs, religious institutions and other special interest groups.
(11) Work with the Public Diplomacy section to generate stories about voting in local media.
b. Identify points of contact at organizations hosting or employing large numbers of U.S. citizens. Encourage organizations to provide voting information to new staff, students, and missionaries on arrival in country. Develop a network of voting volunteers in the U.S. citizen community as multipliers to get out the word about voting. Start early to reach remote and unfamiliar first-time voters or those who may be unaware of their right to participate in the voting process. Encourage those volunteers to assist others in their community.
c. You may want to reach out to the official U.S. Government community as follows:
(1) Country team meetings;
(2) Newsletters;
(3) Bulletin boards;
(4) Staff meetings;
(5) Welcome kit; and
(6) E-mail.
d. You may best reach the private U.S. citizen community as follows:
(1) Messages for U.S. citizens (use sparingly, the Voting Action office will release a limited number of pre-cleared messages for global distribution each election year);
(2) Post Web site;
(3) Post’s social media accounts;
(4) Expatriate blogs;
(5) Embassy monthly newsletter to U.S. citizen community;
(6) Town hall meetings; and
(7) English-language newspapers and radio.
e. Restrictions on Voting Information:
(1) Information cannot mention any current candidates for election to partisan office;
(2) Information cannot mention any political parties or partisan political groups;
(3) Information cannot include any symbols or phrases commonly associated with a candidate, political party, or partisan political group. Posts should run materials by L/CA and L/EFD if you are considering something of that sort.
7 FAM 1533 cautions
(CT:CON-742; 10-17-2017)
a. You must not provide partisan information on candidates and issues to civilians, military personnel or their family members. 5 U.S.C. 7321 - 5 U.S.C. 7326 (The Hatch Act). (See 7 FAM 1560).
b. You should never offer an opinion as to whether or not a person is eligible to vote. That is a question to be addressed by State election officials. Posts should inform voters of the requirements and deadlines to register or to vote but no one at post should ever reject a ballot or registration from anyone who wishes to submit it. (Voted Ballots and registrations to be returned via diplomatic pouch/APO/DPO must either bear sufficient domestic U.S. or be in a postage paid return envelope available from FVAP.gov)
c. See 7 FAM 1560 for guidance on working with political groups.
7 FAM 1534 DEVELOPING A VOTING ACTION PLAN
(CT:CON-946; 11-07-2022)
a. The following are suggestions for developing a voting action plan: Create a voting calendar and publicize it (FVAP.gov will have a calendar of all the important dates and deadlines not determined at post). Include, for example:
(1) Planned Town hall meetings and Outreach events;
(2) Important Voting Emphasis periods (January of each year, 4th of July, Absentee Voting Week in September, recommended mailed by date in October);
(3) Primary elections;
(4) General elections; and
(5) Mailing deadlines for ballots.
b. Advise voters with complicated questions they can contact FVAP toll-free from many countries. The caller can be transferred directly to the office of their elected officials in the U.S. Congress, State governor and State chief election official, or speak directly to a FVAP representative.
c. Post notices in the American Citizens Services (ACS) unit giving your voting assistance officer’s telephone number, post voting e-mail address (VotePost@State.gov), hours of availability to the public and upcoming voter outreach efforts.
d. Ensure the voting information on your Web site is up to date. At a minimum the information should inform voters of their options for obtaining Voting Assistance from post and when/how they can drop their ballot off for return via diplomatic pouch/APO/DPO.
e. Refer voters to their particular State requirements (e.g., residency requirements, registration forms and ballots) as they vary greatly from State to State and election to election. Posts should never hand out a paper voting form without a photocopy or print-out of their state’s specific instructions from FVAP.gov or the Voting Assistance Guide.
f. Provide complimentary access to computers in your waiting area or English language library to allow voters to complete voting forms, display motivational posters and calendars, and make available current Voting Assistance Guides for use with paper voting forms.
g. Whenever possible posts are encouraged to refer to the live version of the Voting Assistance guide on FVAP.gov it is always up to date and includes any changes that may have occurred since the publication of the paper voting assistance guide.
7 FAM 1535 through 1539 unassigned