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Show D Figh to® Country October 28. 2004 Programs Online write-in absentee ballot offered for overseas voters Continued from Page C By Ms. Donna Miles American Forces Press Service programs are great services because they are available to military and family members," said Carole Barton, ACC Services marketing director. "Through these programs, we can offset or 'buy down' the cost of some activities so that they're affordable for military families. In one case, we were able to buy down an overnight kayaking trip for one group so that, instead of $165 per person, it cost them $50 per person. That's a substantial savings when you're a family living on a limited budget." Families aren't the only ones who should benefit in 2005, Ms. Barton said. Though still in the planning stages, Services people here are working with the ACC Personnel Directorate to build a two-phased program that each year will introduce about 9.600 new Airmen across ACC to recreation opportunities available through Services. Under the program dubbed "Services Day", Airmen enrolled in the First Term Airmen Center program will participate in a daylong orientation to base-sponsored activities. Future programming calls for even more Airmen involvement by adding leadership and team building scenarios at selected Services activities. "There is some form of this program in place at five ACC bases and we know it works," Ms. Barton said. "Not only does it take the guesswork out of what's available on the base, it also fosters team building, fitness and esprit de corps. It's a perfect example of nurturing our young Airmen and we're very excited about it being implemented across the command." The broad appeal of the 2005 Services programs will have a direct impact on the command's readiness and warfighting capability, according to Lt. Gen. Bruce Wright, ACC vice commander. "The benefits of maintaining strong Services programs are enormous," General Wright said. "They promote physical fitness, provide an outlet for stress and generally improve the quality of life for both Airmen and their families. That translates into being more mentally and physically prepared for the demands of the mission." (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Sevices) WASHINGTON -- Deployed or stationed overseas and still waiting for your state absentee ballot to arrive in the mail? There's no need to sweat it out any more. The online federal write-in absentee ballot gives U.S. citizens overseas who haven't yet received the absentee ballots they applied for the chance to vote in the upcoming elections, according to Polly Brunelli, director of the Federal Voting VOTE For information: www.fvap.ncr.gov Assistance Program. Program officials announced the online ballot procedures Oct. 21. Ms. Brunelli said the write-in ballot has been used for the past decade. Demand is particularly high this year, she said, thanks to education efforts. The program staff has pre-positioned the ballot forms at many overseas sites "so it would be readily available" to those who need it, Ms. Brunelli said. Forms also can . be downloaded from the program's Web site. Ms. Brunelli emphasized that not everyone overseas can use the ballot. To do so, she said, they must meet three specific conditions: . — Be outside the United States, including APO/FPO addresses. — Have applied for a regular ballot early enough so that the request was received by the appropriate local election official at least 30 days before the election. — Not have received the regular absentee ballot they requested from their state. The write-in ballot is used to vote for federal offices in general elections. These include: president, vice president, U.S. senator, U.S. representative, delegate or resident commissioner to Congress. Some states now allow servicemembers and other U.S. citizens overseas to use the ballot in elections other than general elections, or for offices other than federal offices. Chapter 3 of the 2004-05 Voting Assistance Guide details specific state or territorial requirements. When using the write-in ballot, voters may electronically fill in the form, or print it and manually fill in the form. In either case, officials said, the voter must manually sign and date the ballot. Specific instructions for submitting the ballot are outlined on the program's Web site. Forms can be mailed at no cost to the voter from APO and FPO addresses, as well as from other addresses within the U.S. postal system, using postage-paid indicia printed onto the mailing envelope from the Web site. Voters who receive their state ballot after submitting either version of the writein ballot should vote and submit their state ballot any time up to and including Election Day, officials said. Officials advise them to note on the state ballot envelope that they also submitted a writein ballot. For more information, contact the DOD Voting Information Center, which can be reached toll free from 64 countries using the numbers listed on the program's Web site. The center provides recorded messages from candidates, as well as other information concerning elections, 24 hours a day. 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