 Benefits for FSM Citizens to have Voter ID Cards for Voting in ElectionsPalikir, Pohnpei (FSM Information Services): September 4, 2009 - As a follow up to the article we sent out last month on how FSM citizens can register to vote and use Voter ID cards, the information contained in this release explains more on this subject. First, applications for Voter ID Cards can be obtained at the following places:
Not everyone needs to go in person to get an application. Anyone (preferably FSM voters) can hand carry Voter ID applications to his/her relatives or people he/she knows to be FSM voters. However, an application for a FSM Voter ID Card must be submitted by the applicant in person at either a National Election Office or a mobile registration location (FSM Consulate Office). There is no fee for getting your first Voter ID Card. If a voter has lost his/her Voter ID Card, he/she must report immediately to the FSM Election Office and inform them of this incident. Then he/she will be required to pay an amount of $ 2.50 to the FSM Treasury for a replacement Voter ID Card. The benefits of having a Voter ID Card are many. First, it is a reliable and effective form of FSM identification. A Voter ID Card includes several identifying features such as photo, full name, date of birth, gender, signature and other identifying information that provide greater assurance that the voter is who he/she claims to be. It can also be used to establish legal residency as a requirement for other agencies. Second, it serves as acknowledgment that a voter is duly registered regardless if unlisted on a voter registration list due to error. It can be marked when the voter has obtained a ballot, preventing multiple voting, and facilitates voting in areas where a voter may not be known personally. The Voter ID Card permits a voter to cast a ballot at any "voting-at-another-polling-place" (VAAPP) designated for his or her Congressional Election District without having to submit absentee voting request forms, and it also permits a voter to cast a ballot at any "Special-Polling-Place" (SPP) designated outside FSM for his or her Congressional Election District without submitting a written absentee request. All FSM voters can utilize these Voter ID Cards. If you are an FSM citizen holding an FSM passport, yet are not a FSM registered voter, the FSM Election Office will not process your request for an FSM Voter ID Card, unless you are a registered voter. Also, as a reminder, a voter that has been issued a Voter ID Card must vote with the card. |