U.S. EMBASSY  WARDEN MESSAGE

U.S. Embassy Jakarta
U.S. Consulate General Surabaya
U.S. Consulate Medan

Warden Message: Write-In Absentee Ballot and Mailing Options for U.S. Voted Ballots and Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot

 U.S. citizens who have registered to vote and requested an absentee ballot from their State but have not received their ballots by October 15, 2008, have the option of using the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) as an emergency ballot.   U.S. citizens may go to www.fvap.gov to fill out the FWAB form or come to the U.S. Embassy, Consular Section waiting room, Window 3, and fill out the postage paid FWAP form.  Please check on www.fvap.gov if your State requires your ballot to be notarized or witnessed. 

 Mailing Options for Absentee Ballots
Voters in Indonesia have a number of options for mailing 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.

 FPO Mail: For voting purposes only, all U.S. citizens in Indonesia are eligible to use the Fleet Post Office (FPO) to mail their ballots.  FPO express mail to the U.S. takes approximately 3 to 5 days.  Voters should submit their ballots to the U.S. Embassy, Consular Section, no later than November 4, 2008 for FPO mail. Ballots sent through FPO are postmarked.  Ballots must be postage-paid or have first-class U.S. postage (42 cents).  You can purchase the U.S. .42 cent stamp in rupiah at the Consular Section waiting room. 

 Express Service:  Last-minute voters can use FedEx to send their voted ballots to all States and territories except Alabama.  In Indonesia, FedEx is providing free shipping of absentee ballots for U.S. voters from September 15 to October 29, 2008.  Mail sent by express courier companies is not postmarked.  For FedEx locations in Indonesia please go to http://www.fedex.com/id/dropoff/#1. 

 To FedEx your ballot, please follow the steps below:

-  Go to www.overseasvotefoundation.org/voteexpress to generate a FedEx Air Waybill addressed to the Local Election Office and to process payment for the discounted shipment;

-  Put the ballot into the ballot confidentiality envelope and then into the pre-addressed ballot return envelope, which needs to be signed and dated;

-  Staple the copy of the FedEx Airway Bill on the ballot return envelope and put it in the FedEx envelope;

-  Drop off the FedEx envelope at one of the approved drop-off locations or schedule a pickup by phone; and

-  Track the shipment at fedex.com or wait for proactive proof of delivery to confirm the delivery date and time.

 The Voting Assistance Officer at the U.S. Embassy Jakarta is also always available to answer questions about absentee voting.  To contact the Voting Assistance Officer, call 62-21-3435-9050 or send an e-mail to VoteJakarta@state.gov.