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<body class='hmmessage'><div dir='ltr'>This is a message related to voting from Shanghai, however it applies to all US Citizens abroad.<br> <BR><div><hr id="stopSpelling"><br><br><p align="center" class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: center; page-break-after: avoid;"><strong><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. Consulate </span></span></span></strong></p>
<p align="center" class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: center; page-break-after: avoid;"><strong><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Message for U.S. Citizens</span></span></span></strong></p>
<p align="center" class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: center; page-break-after: avoid;"><strong><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Final Opportunities to Return Voted Ballots</span></span></span></strong></p>
<p align="center" class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: center; page-break-after: avoid;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span><span>24 October 2014</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span><br><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Embassies and consulates are not polling places</strong>.<span> </span>The majority of states require voted ballots to reach local election officials by the close of polls on Tuesday, November 4.<span> </span>U.S. citizens who want to participate in the 2014 U.S. elections should already have returned their absentee ballots to their local election officials<strong>.<span> </span></strong>U.S. embassies and consulates are not polling places; same-day in-person voting is not available outside the United States.</span></span></span></p>
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span>Never received your ballot?<span> </span></span></strong><span>If you have registered to vote and requested your absentee ballot prior to your state’s registration and absentee ballot request deadlines but have not yet received your ballot, you should immediately complete and return a </span></span></span><a href="http://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter" target="_blank"><span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot</span></span></a><span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"> to ensure your vote reaches election officials by your state’s deadline.<span> </span>If your regular ballot arrives later, go ahead and complete and return it as well.<span> </span>Your </span></span><a href="http://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter" target="_blank"><span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot</span></span></a><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> will only be counted if your regular ballot does not reach local election officials by your state’s deadline.<span> </span>Your vote will not be counted twice.</span></span></span></p>
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span>Ballot not yet sent to local election officials?<span> </span></span></strong><span>If you wish to participate in this election and have not yet sent your ballot to your local election official, you should consider returning your ballot to the United States via an express courier service such as FedEx, UPS, or DHL.<span> </span>Some states or counties may allow you to return your voted ballot electronically.<span> </span></span><span style="color: black;">Ballots sent to local election officials via express courier service do not receive standard postmarks, so voters using this method should confirm delivery on or before November 4 prior to payment and shipment.<span> </span></span><span>Check your state’s voting procedures at </span></span></span><a href="http://www.fvap.gov/" target="_blank"><span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">www.FVAP.gov</span></span></a><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> for guidance.</span></span></span></p>
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><strong><span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">Returning your </span></span></strong><a href="http://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter" target="_blank"><strong><span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot</span></span></strong></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span> by email or fax.</span></strong><span><span> </span>If you have previously registered to vote and requested an absentee ballot but it has not yet arrived, the following states allow voters to use email or fax to send signed, voted Federal Write-in Absentee Ballots to local election officials:<span> </span>Arizona, California (fax only), Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii (fax only), Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska (paper copy must also be mailed), Nevada, New Jersey (paper copy must also be mailed), New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon (paper copy must also be mailed), South Carolina, Utah, Washington, and West Virginia.<span> </span>Check your state’s voting procedures at </span></span></span><a href="http://www.fvap.gov/" target="_blank"><span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">www.FVAP.gov</span></span></a><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> for guidance.</span></span></span></p>
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span>Returning your ballot by mail.</span></strong><span><span> </span>Ballots sent via <span style="text-decoration: underline;">regular</span> international mail at this late date are unlikely to reach local election officials by state ballot receipt deadlines.<span> </span>If you still wish to send your voted ballot via mail, place your voted ballot in a U.S. postage-paid envelope addressed to your local election officials. <span> </span>You can then drop it off at U.S. Consulate Shanghai’s Consular Section <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">by October 30, 2014</span></strong> and we’ll send it back home for you without the need to pay international postage. You can drop off your sealed ballots between <span style="text-decoration: underline;">8:30am-4:30 pm Monday to Friday;</span> simply present your U.S. passport to the guards to gain entry to the Consular Section at the 8th Floor, Westgate Mall, 1038 Nanjing West Road. If you can’t visit the Consulate in person, ask a friend or colleague to drop it off for you.<span> </span>If it’s easier for you to use China’s postal system, be sure to affix sufficient international postage, and allow sufficient time for international mail delivery.<span> </span></span></span></span><a href="http://shanghai.usembassy-china.org.cn/service.html" target="_blank"><span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">Visit our website</span></span></a><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> for more information. </span></span></span></p>
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span>HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT OVERSEAS VOTING.</span></span></strong><strong><span><span> </span></span></strong><span>Please help spread the word to your friends, family, and colleagues that now is the time to start thinking about overseas voting.<span> </span>Consider posting to your Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or other social media account that you are an active voter and will be dropping off or mailing your Federal Post Card Application or completed ballot.<span> </span>Use <strong>#ProudOverseasVoter</strong> to help get the word out about voting.</span></span></span></p>
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 15pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span>Have Questions?</span></strong><span><span> </span>Please contact Consulate Shanghai’s Voting Assistance Officer at (021) 3217-4650 or at ShanghaiACS@state.gov. </span></span></span></p>
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span>Confirm your registration and ballot delivery online.</span></strong><span><span> </span>Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program's (FVAP) website at </span></span></span><a href="http://www.fvap.gov/" target="_blank"><span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">www.FVAP.gov</span></span></a><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. </span></span></span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 15pt;"><span><br><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">END U.S. CITIZEN MESSAGE</span></span></span></p></div> </div></body>
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