Town Crier! is random snippets of Shanghai news that just may have an effect on your life...
Calling all American expats: what time is it? That's right, democracy time.
Election day is coming up, and for Americans abroad, this means absentee ballots. We'll have none of this, "it's only midterms" talk. This is your chance to vote, and That's is going to tell you how.
First off, you have to be sure that you're registered to vote. If you aren't registered (that is, you've never voted in the USA before, and haven't sent in the paperwork to do so) then 2014 is not your year: the registration deadline was on October 6. Still, if you register now, you'll be plenty early for 2015.
Next up, you must get a ballot from the Federal Voting Assistance Program website. Ballots are managed at the state level. In Michigan, for example, registered voters have until November 1 to request their ballot, and until Election Day (November 4) to file their vote.
If you're lucky, your state can send you a ballot via email, and they will accept them up until the day of the election. If you're unlucky, then your state's deadline passed long ago. Check the FVAP link to see your state's specific regulations and deadlines.
After your ballot arrives, it's voting time. Be sure to fill out your votes as specified in the ballot instructions - no hanging chads!
Once you've got your bubbles filled-in (or your lines connected, your names written or however your state decides to do it) it's casting time. Ballots can be cast Monday to Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm at the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai.
The Consulate is located at the 8th floor of the Westgate Mall at 1038 Nanjing Xi Lu. (That's West Nanjing Road, and yes, it's in a mall.)
After that, just sit back and watch democracy in action.
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