This means that you will need to re-register and request your federal post card application (FPCA) for the federal elections taking place in 2012. If you maintain a residence in the United States, and will be requesting an absentee ballot from your county registrar of voters, you do not need to re-register.
Due to the changes laid out in the MOVE Act, your re-registering to vote is now required. It does not matter that you may have voted in previous federal elections from Mexico and had been automatically sent your absentee ballot by your county's registrar of voters.
This new law requires all of us who want to participate in their state's primary and the general election to re-register and request what is called an FPCA (federal post card application). This triggers an absentee ballot to be sent to your home in Mexico or some other address you specify, such as a Mail Boxes, Etc. This absentee ballot is only for federal electoral candidates (candidates for the House of Representatives, the Senate, the President and Vice-President).
If you have a computer, the easiest and fastest way to do this is to sign into either the Democrats Abroad site, www.votefromabroad.org, or www.overseasvotefoundation.org. Both sites assist people of all political preferences. You can also contact your local Democrats Abroad chapter, with John Wilson-Bugbee at wbeegood@yahoo.com or calling to (322)223-2022. There is also a voter's help desk associated with the Overseas Vote Foundation, but you must access this service by using a computer.
Most importantly, the right to vote should not be taken lightly. As we have seen numerous times in countries around the world, people die for the right to vote. So please re-register and request your federal post card application today.
