U.S. Embassy Nouakchott
October 13, 2006

Urgent 2006 U.S. Elections Notice
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October 8 - 14, 2006 is Absentee Voting Week

U.S. citizens who wish to vote in the November 7, 2006 mid-term elections, and who have not yet requested an absentee ballot, are urged to do so immediately.  See your state's registration and absentee ballot request deadlines at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/ocgendeadlines.html.

If you have already received your blank ballot from local election officials in the U.S., vote and submit it without delay to ensure that your vote will be counted. 

The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy Nouakchott is announcing a limited offer to mail ballots to the United States via DHL at no charge.  This will be offered on October 18, 23, & 27 and ballots must be submitted by 10 AM.  You do not have to participate in this mailing and may choose to mail your ballot back via international courier at your own expense. Please read the following information carefully for directions on proper submission of your ballot. 

Pay careful attention to your state’s ballot receipt deadlines, and comply with any post-marking, witnessing or notarization requirements.  See http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/vag/vagchapter3.html.  We will place a date stamp and consular seal on all ballot envelopes presented to the Consular Section, and will witness or notarize your ballot free of charge.  For your convenience, a U.S. postage-paid envelope template is available on-line (see below).

Some states allow faxing or e-mailing of ballots; others require that the ballots be mailed.  See your state’s rules for use of fax or e-mail at http://www.fvap.gov/ivas/fvap_state_menu.html.

Overseas voters who are required to mail in their voted ballots should plan to allow up to three weeks for delivery via U.S. diplomatic pouch or international mail. 

Some express mail companies have traditionally offered special rates or services for U.S. overseas voters.  Check locally for available services.  The Department of State is aware that FedEx is offering free delivery of voted ballots for Americans residing in the East Asia/Pacific region.  FedEx cannot deliver to a P.O. Box address; have available the street address for your local election officials.
 
Voters who fail to receive a ballot from their local election officials may be eligible to use a federal emergency write-in ballot. The Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, or FWAB, is available on-line from the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/forms.html, as is a postage-paid envelope template for use in sending the voted ballot or FWAB back to election official through U.S. postal channels (APO/FPO/DPO/Pouch).

U.S. citizens in Mauritania are also encouraged to register and to obtain updated information on travel and security in Mauritania at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy at rue Abdallaye, Nouakchott, telephone (222) 525-2660/2663, 525-1141/45 or 525-3038 (ext. 5441/5443); fax 525-1592; or email ConsularNkc@state.gov.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Cautions, Public Announcements and Travel Warnings can be found.  Americans in Mauritania who have not registered their presence with the U.S. Embassy in Nouakchott are urged to register via the Internet through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov.  

The Embassy is located at rue Abdallaye, Nouakchott, and remains open for all American citizen services and visa services.  In case of an emergency, you may call the Embassy Duty Officer at 662-8163, or the Embassy guard post at 525-3288.