Consulate General, Edinburgh

E-Newsletter, June 2007

http://london.usembassy.gov/scotland
We want to keep you updated on events that affect Americans across the world and to notify you of events of interest in Scotland. Feel free to forward this e-mail to friends or co-workers.

Edinburgh-Info@state.gov.

Upcoming Consulate Holidays: The Consulate will be closed Wednesday, July 4 for Independence Day. Happy 4th of July!

Stockton Chorale Performs at Edinburgh Castle on July 4th

The Stockton Chorale, under the direction of Dr. Edward Cetto, is a not-for-profit community organization based in Stockton, California. The group’s concert in the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle at 12:30 on July 4, 2007 is part of a tour to Ireland and Scotland which also includes concert performances in Waterford, Dublin, and Inverness. There is a fee to enter the castle grounds but the concert itself is free.

Ask the Expert: USCIS Representative Visits the Consulate

Karen Fitzgerald from the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service at the U.S. Embassy in London is setting up an outreach visit to Edinburgh. USCIS programs include adoptions, Permanent Resident Cards (green cards), I-130 petitions, and refugee and asylum seekers. For more information, their webpage is http://london.usembassy.gov/dhs/uscis/index.html. If you are interested in meeting Ms. Fitzgerald or asking her a question, send us an email to Edinburgh-info@state.gov.

Information on Food Recalls and Health Advisories

Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have in recent months put out notices on tainted, possibly harmful, products, including notices on certain brands or lots of peanut butter, pet food, contact lens solution, and toothpaste, while the CDC also disseminated a notice on drug-resistant tuberculosis. Although each of these notices has varying levels of direct applicability to American citizens resident in the United Kingdom, both of these agencies maintain excellent websites where up-to-date information on these and other health issues can be found. The CDC’s site, www.cdc.gov, has a service allowing interested people to receive email updates on a wide variety of issues, including traveler’s health, healthy living, and emergency preparedness and response. Visit http://www.cdc.gov/emailupdates/ to subscribe (The CDC announcement on contact lens solution is available here http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/acanthamoeba/index.htm, if you’re interested).

The FDA website, www.fda.gov, provides information on topics related to food safety and recalls. The latest on tainted toothpaste, for example, can be found here: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/toothpaste.html. The site allows you to subscribe both to multi-media feeds (http://www.fda.gov/oc/rss/) and to email newsletters on several topics (http://www.fda.gov/emaillist.html).

Prepare to Vote!

All American citizens are reminded that 2008 is a presidential election year in the United States. Overseas citizens are eligible to participate in primary, run-off, and special elections that occur throughout the year, as well as the general elections in November. With the first 10 presidential primaries set to occur by Feb. 5, 2008, overseas voters from those states will need to register, request absentee ballots, and send in their voted ballots as early as December. We strongly encourage you to register to vote and request absentee ballots as early as possible to ensure that you will receive all ballots for which you are eligible. If questions or problems occur, you would still be able to address them in time to vote in the 2008 primaries.

The following is the basic absentee voting process:

You complete an application form (see below) and send it to local election officials in the U.S.
The local official approves your request, or contacts you (ideally by e-mail) for further information
The local official sends you an absentee ballot for all elections for which you are eligible to cast a ballot
You vote the ballot and send it back in time to meet your state's deadline
The official US Government website for overseas absentee voting assistance is the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at www.fvap.gov. It has a wealth of information about absentee voting, including the downloadable absentee ballot application, state-specific instructions for completing the form, links to state and local officials, and a downloadable emergency ballot for use by those who register in time but fail to receive an official ballot.

Overseas citizens groups help people to vote. We encourage you to contact Democrats Abroad, Republicans Abroad, an American Women’s Club, or other American citizens groups or organizations for assistance in registering to vote and requesting absentee ballots. Links to these groups are at http://www.fvap.gov/links/ocitlinks.html.

To register to vote and to request an absentee ballot, download the Federal Post Card Application at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/onlinefpca.html. You can also obtain this form from overseas American citizens groups or from the U.S. Consulate in Edinburgh. Fill it out and send it in, following the guidelines for your state. A postage-paid envelope template, valid if you are using the Embassy’s APO or diplomatic pouch system, is available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/returnenvelope.html.

Each state has different voting procedures. Information about your state's procedures is available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/vag/vagchapter3.html . Information about your state's deadlines to register and vote is available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/primarycal.html. A calendar of 2008 election dates should soon be available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/primarycal.html.

States sometimes make last-minute changes. There may be late changes to your state's voting calendar, procedures or deadlines. When these occur, the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) will issue a News Release. News Releases are available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/releases.html. You should also look for changes in your state’s regulations, deadlines and mailing addresses at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/vag/vagerrata.html.

Be an educated voter. Non-partisan information about candidates, their voting records, and their positions on issues is widely available and easy to obtain via the Internet. Use the links appearing on the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at http://www.fvap.gov/links/otherlinks.html, or choose any one of several search engines to locate articles and information.

An emergency ballot is available. If your state’s ballot receipt deadline is less than 3 weeks away, and you have not yet received the blank ballot from local officials, you can download an emergency ballot, write in the names of the candidates and the offices for which they are running, and send it back in time to meet your state's ballot receipt deadline. The emergency ballot (SF-186, Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, or FWAB) is available on the Internet at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/forms.html.

Problems with Voting Information Toll Free Numbers. The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), the government agency responsible for assisting Americans overseas to register to vote absentee, maintains worldwide toll-free access number for voters who need advice and assistance. They have informed us that they are currently experiencing technical difficulties with the Voting Information Center and worldwide toll-free access numbers, so voters with questions or concerns are encouraged to use the FVAP’s website, www.fvap.gov, or to contact the program via email at vote@fvap.ncr until these technical difficulties are resolved.

ATM Fraud Is On The Rise

Automated Teller Machine (ATM) fraud in the UK is becoming more sophisticated, incorporating technologies to surreptitiously record customer ATM card and PIN information. Travelers should avoid using ATMs located in isolated areas. In addition, travelers should not use the ATM if there is anything stuck to the machine or if it looks unusual in any way. If the machine does not return the card, it should be reported to the issuing bank immediately.

Visitors should also be aware of a number of distraction techniques currently used by thieves near ATMs in the UK. All of these approaches take place after the victim has entered a PIN number into the ATM.

Method 1: Free Newspaper Distributors
Thieves approach the ATM and attempt to offer free newspapers. As the victim is distracted, the thieves quickly withdraw cash from the ATM and leave. ATMs in Hanover Square, Portland Place, Shaftsbury Avenue, Holborn and Regent Street have been targeted.

Method 2: The Dropped £5 Note
One thief points to a £5 note on the ground and “helpfully” informs the victim that s/he has dropped some money. As the victim bends down to pick up the money, the second thief withdraws cash from victim’s account.

Method 3: The Whisperer
The first thief taps the victim on the shoulder. When the victim turns, the thief whispers something very quietly. As the victim leans towards the thief, a second thief withdraws the cash.

Method 4: Children Collecting Charity
One child waves a piece of paper in front of the victim with some spurious charity information. A second child (sometimes as young as five or six years old) withdraws the cash by pressing the relevant button behind the piece of paper.

The bottom line: if any person distracts you in any way while you are in the middle of an ATM transaction, press the ‘Cancel Transaction’ button immediately and collect your card before speaking to the person who distracted you. If they do not appear genuine, do not challenge them but keep track of the details and report the matter to the police as soon as possible.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website at travel.state.gov. The U.S. Embassy in London also maintains a website at london.usembassy.gov. In addition to information on the Internet, travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. or outside the U.S. and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.

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