7 FAM 1530
Voting action plan
(CT:CON-804; 04-30-2018)
(Office of Origin: CA/OCS)
7 fAM 1531 TRAINING
(CT:CON-742; 10-17-2017)
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-742; 10-17-2017)
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) Wardens;
(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
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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.
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(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) Posts 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 CA/OCS/L 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-742; 10-17-2017)
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 his or her 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 officers 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 states
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