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Published Monday, March 2, 2020
Democrats Abroad invites
voters to Super Tuesday
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Democrats in Costa Rica will begin expressing their preferences for their presidential candidate Tuesday when overseas voting starts at the Hacienda Restaurant in Escazú.
The local branch of the international organization said this Sunday as it listed nine other voting locations on different days around the country.
Tuesday is calls Super Tuesday because 15 U.S. states hold their primary elections on that day. The voters are picking delegates to the Democratic National Convention, where the selection of a presidential nominee will be made.
Democrats Abroad has set up 220 voting centers in 45 countries around the globe.
According to the local organization, with more than 1,100 active members, it is the largest political group of U.S. citizen expats living in Costa Rica. The Republican counterpart has not been active for years, although there is little doubt that President Donald Trump will be the party's nominee for the elections Nov. 3 this year. Some states have even canceled the Republican primary election and pledges all convention delegates to Trump.
"This is the most important presidential primary election in a generation, and the global presidential primary is the opportunity that Democrats living abroad have to impact this important decision," said the party.
According to the party, for many U.S. citizens abroad, this is the only chance they’ll have to cast a ballot in-person during the 2020 elections. Voters may register in-person or by going to the Democrats Abroad website.
Participation is open to Democrats Abroad members who would like to vote via mail-in ballot, fax and email. Voters may download a ballot from the Democrats Abroad website starting Tuesday.
An eligible voter must be a resident abroad, a U.S. citizen and a member of Democrats Abroad. The voter must be 18 years old by Nov. 3 and not have voted or plan to vote in any state 2020 presidential primary.
In addition to La Hacienda Restaurant Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Democrats Abroad will staff these nine voting centers during early March, as follow:
- Wednesday at Octubre 29 Gastropub in San Ramón, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Also on this day, at the feria in Uvita, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Thursday at Grecia Mall in Grecia, Alajuela Province, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The same day at the feria in San Isidro in Pérez Zeledón from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Friday in La Terraza Restaurant in Atenas in Alajuela Province from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Saturday at Biblioteca David Kitsen in Nosara from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Also that day at Balú Restaurant in Quepos, Puntarenas Province, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Sunday at Tin Jo Asian Restaurant in San José downtown, from noon to 5 p.m., and
- March 10, at Tico Lingo Spanish School in Heredia from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The international Democrats Abroad sends 21 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, and their votes will be cast proportionally, based on the results of the Global Presidential Primary, said the organization. ". . . this is your chance to cast your ballot for the person you want to run for president," said the party in its statement. There are six candidates for the nomination as of Sunday night following the primary Saturday in South Carolina. Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, dropped out of the race last night.
Volunteers from Vote from Abroad also will be on hand to assist U.S. citizens in seeking their ballots for the 2020 elections. To vote in the 2020 federal elections, U.S. citizens living abroad can request a ballot using the Federal Post Card Application, a dual-purpose form used to request the ballot and to register as a voter if the person has not already done so.
U.S. citizens living abroad usually can vote in the U.S. state in which they last lived. Expats also can seek an absentee ballot from their county clerk in the county in which they last lived. The vote will be counted along with those of residents in that county and state. Unlike other countries, including Costa Rica, the United States does not permit expats to vote in national elections at embassies or consulates.
"If for any reason you are unable to come to the voting centers, for the vast majority of states, you can still fill out and send your federal application via email from the following website: VoteFromAbroad.org," said Democrats Abroad in its statement. "This year, more than any in your lifetime, your vote counts. Please tell your friends and spread the word."
Anyone with questions can call the Vote From Abroad Costa Rica at (506) 8428-6792 or contact Steve Johnson, home phone (506) 2268-0485 or cell (506) 7106-9505.
According to the Federal Voting Assistance Program, the first step for an easy vote in the coming U.S. presidential election is to start by confirming your voter registration with your state.
“Some states require absentee voters to register annually so you may need to re-register,” said the program in its statement. “Go to
FVAP.gov to connect to your state’s voter portal to register to vote, request a ballot, and more,” said the program, sponsored by a number of U.S. government departments.
The program listed a few simple steps to vote in the 2020 U.S. elections:
Request Your Ballot: Most states provide the option to request ballots through their state election portals, which you can easily access via FVAP.gov. You can also choose to complete the Federal Post Card Application. The completion of the postcard allows you to request absentee ballots for all elections for federal offices (president, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives) including primaries and special elections during the calendar year in which it is submitted. Postcard forms that are correctly filled out and include a signature and date are accepted by all local election officials in every U.S. state and territory. The assistance program's easy online assistant can assist those who wish in completing the postcard. “Whether you request your ballot through your state’s portal or the FPCA, we encourage you to select the option for receiving your ballot electronically (by email, internet download, or fax) when available. This is the fastest way for you to get your ballot and ensures you have it in time to return a completed form before your state’s deadline,” said the program in its announcement.
Receive and Complete Your Ballot: States are required to send out ballots 45 days before a regular election for federal office and state generally send out ballots at least 30 days before primary elections. Most states allow you to confirm your ballot delivery online.
Return Your Completed, Signed Ballot: Some states allow you to return your completed ballot electronically and others do not. If your state requires you to return paper voting forms or ballots to local election officials by mail, you can do so through international mail, professional courier service, or through U.S. Embassy San Jose’s diplomatic pouch. The diplomatic pouch provides free mail service from embassies and consulates to a U.S. sorting facility. Voters will need to place a ballot in a postage-paid return envelope or in an envelope bearing sufficient U.S. postage, in order for them to be delivered to the proper local election authorities.
If using the diplomatic pouch, ballots can be dropped off to the American Citizens Services section at the U.S. Embassy’s main entrance on business days between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The embassy noted that all visitors to the embassy are subject to security screening, and you will not be permitted to bring electronic devices, including cell phones, inside the facility. Please note that it can take up to two weeks for mail to reach its destination if sent by an embassy or consulate via diplomatic pouch. All overseas U.S. citizens are advised to submit their forms and ballots accordingly, the embassy added.
Researching the Candidates and Issues: Voters can go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program links page for helpful resources to aid research on candidates and issues. Non-partisan information about candidates, their voting records, and their positions on issues are widely available and easy to obtain on-line. You can also read national and hometown newspapers online or search the internet to locate articles and information. The assistance program is run by the U.S. Department of Defense initially to help service men and women abroad to participate in U.S. elections.
More information about election dates and deadlines can be reached at the Federal Voting Assistance Program email address
vote@fvap.gov or by visiting the website
FVAP.gov.
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