# 4A                                                                                                                                                                                    March 11, 2009

NEW YORK TO HOLD A SPECIAL GENERAL ELECTION ON MARCH 31, 2009 FOR REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE 20^TH DISTRICT

THIS CANCELS NEWS RELEASE #4, DATED MARCH 11, 2009. 

As noted in News Release #4, dated March 11, 2009, on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 New York will hold a special general election to fill the seat vacated by Representative Kirsten E. Gillibrand.  To determine if your legal residence is in the 20^th Congressional District, click on www.fvap.gov/reference/about-elect-officials/index.html and then on “United States House of Representatives.”  The 20^th Congressional District includes the following counties:  Columbia, Greene, Warren, Washington, Part of Saratoga, Part of Delaware, Part of Otsego, Part of Rensselaer, Part of Dutchess, and Part of Essex.

Voting Assistance Officers should contact those citizens they assist who are New York voters and inform them of this news release and provide help to them in requesting and returning their absentee ballot.

REGISTERING TO VOTE AND REQUESTING A BALLOT:
All members of the U.S. Uniformed Services, their family members and citizens residing outside the U.S. who are New York residents from the 20^th District should request a ballot for this special general election by completing and submitting a registration and ballot request (Federal Post Card Application FPCA, SF-76), as soon as possible, if they have not done so in calendar year 2009.  The FPCA is available online from the FVAP website at www.fvap.gov.  Voters who are not already registered must submit their FPCA by mail by March 21, 2009.  Registered voters who wish to request a ballot must send the completed FPCA to the local board of elections so that it arrives no later than March 23, 2009.  Voters can check their registration status at https://voterlookup.elections.state.ny.us/votersearch.aspx.

Voters who are New York residents from the 20^th District, who requested and received a ballot for the Federal General election on November 4, 2008 will automatically receive the special general election ballot, and need not take any further action. 

APPLICATION FOR BALLOT BY PROXY:
Members of the Uniformed Services outside the U.S. may have their spouse, parent, adult dependent, sibling or duly authorized agent apply to the local board of elections for an absentee ballot on their behalf.

RECEIVING AND RETURNING YOUR BALLOT:

New York allows voters to receive and return the ballot by mail only.  Mailing addresses for local boards of election may be found at www.fvap.gov/contact/addresses/ny/index.html or www.elections.state.ny.us.  The voted ballot must be postmarked by the day before the election (March 30, 2009) and received by the local board of elections by April 7, 2009. 

If a voter is concerned about not receiving their ballot in time to vote, they may use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB, SF-186).  The FWAB and instructions are available at www.fvap.gov.   The FWAB is also available in embassies and consulates and military installations around the world. 

The candidates running for Representative of District 20 are the following:

DEM Scott Murphy

REP Jim Tedisco

IND Scott Murphy

CON Jim Tedisco

WOR Scott Murphy

LBT Eric Sundwall

The FWAB must be received by April 7, 2009 to be counted. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
State specific information on precincts, candidates, elections, and voting is available at the New York State Board of Elections website,  www.elections.state.ny.us/.

The FVAP can be contacted via 1-800-438-8683. Citizens may reach the FVAP toll-free from 67 countries using the toll-free numbers listed on the FVAP website, www.fvap.gov/contact/toll-free-phone/index.html.  Questions regarding the above may also be referred to the Director, Federal Voting Assistance Program, Department of Defense, 1155 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC, 20301-1155, vote@fvap.ncr.gov and on the World Wide Web at www.fvap.gov.