Electronic Voting System Project For Overseas U.S. Citizens

Attention U.S. citizen voters:

    The following 25 states, or parts of these states, are participating in an Electronic Voting System project: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Washington, and West Virginia.

    If you vote in one of these states/counties, you should follow the instructions and use all of the voting options available to you through www.FVAP.gov .  Many of these state tools allow you to use a full ballot reflecting all contests (federal, state, and local).  Follow the instructions for returning the voted ballot.

    If you subsequently receive your blank state ballot from your state after submitting the online ballot, you should vote and return the state ballot immediately.  The state ballot will take priority over the electronic voting project ballot if both are received by the state deadline.

    If you have already received, voted, and returned your state ballot, you should not participate in this project. If you have questions about this project, or about voting, please contact the voting assistance officer at American Embassy, Belmopan, Ashley Barriner-Byrd, Tel. 501 822 4011 ext. 4219.

Appointments Required for US Citizen Services

Starting Monday, March 1, 2010, all U.S. citizens seeking new or renewed passports, additional passport pages, notarial, and Consular Report of Birth Abroad services at the U.S. Embassy in Belmopan will need to schedule an appointment. Other services will continue to be available on a walk-in basis during new walk-in hours listed below. Emergencies that involve the death, injury, hospitalization, or arrest of an American citizen will continue to be handled without prior appointment.

This change is being implemented so that sufficient time and attention can be focused by consular staff on each service request.

To make an appointment, please visit the citizen services page of the U.S. Embassy website at http://belize.usembassy.gov/citizen_services.html, review the information on required documents for each service, and schedule the appointment online.

Same-day appointments for passports lost due to accident, theft, or robbery will be available during the service hours listed below, or by phone request, as appropriate. Please note that overlooking that a passport has expired (or is about to expire) when making travel arrangements does not constitute an emergency.

Non-appointment services are provided Monday mornings from 9:00 to 11:00, Monday afternoons from 1:00 to 3:00, and Thursday afternoons from 1:00 to 3:00. Non-appointment services include questions about U.S. social security benefits, U.S. veteran benefits, voting, tax filing, consular registrations, passport pickup, non-emergency requests for assistance, and general inquiries.

For emergency services, the American Citizen Services office at the Embassy is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Americans requiring emergency services on weekends, holidays, or outside of normal business hours should contact the Embassy Duty Officer at 610-5030.

Non-emergency questions for American Citizen Services may be directed via e-mail to: ACSBelize@state.gov. The U.S. Embassy is located in Belmopan on Floral Park Road. The telephone number is 822-4011.

Holiday Travel: Passports and Visas

- Press Release, US Embassy, Belmopan, Belize, October 1 - With Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years just around the corner, the holidays will soon begin. In preparation for travel over the holidays, the U.S. Embassy recommends that American citizens, as well as U.S. visa holders, plan ahead and ensure enough time to obtain the proper documents well in advance of your travel dates.

Make an appointment for any required services at the Embassy as soon as possible as appointments may become increasingly scarce as the holidays approach. U.S. citizens should confirm that passports are not missing, that passports are not expired, and that additional visa pages are not needed. U.S. visa holders should ensure their visa has not expired and that passports have at least six months remaining before they expire.

While passport visa pages may be added as a same-day service, new and renewal passports require seven to ten business days to process, and may take longer during the holiday season. U.S. visas—once approved—are usually available the next day, but may require extra processing time.
For more information or to schedule an appointment for American Citizens Services or U.S. visas go to: http://belize.usembassy.gov. NOTE: The U.S. Embassy will be closed October 12th; November 11th, 19th and 26th; and December 25th and 28th, 2009; as well as January 1, 2010.

The U.S. Embassy is located at
#4 Floral Park Road, Belmopan City, Belize;
Tel: 501-822-4011 8:00am to 5:00pm—or for after-hour emergencies, weekends, and holidays at
501-610-5030, Fax: 501-822-4050.