How Ukrainian citizens abroad can vote in their presidential election (10/10/04)

How Ukrainian citizens abroad can vote in their presidential election

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - Ukraine's Consulate General in Toronto has provided information, in the Ukrainian language, about how Ukrainian citizens abroad can participate in the presidential election on October 31.

The Consulate released a statement from the chairman of the Central Election Commission, Serhii Kivalov, which underscores that "it is important that every Ukrainian citizen, no matter where he lives, can utilize his right to vote - to participate in the election of the president of Ukraine."

Ukrainian citizens will be able to vote at polling places set up abroad, which have been established at Ukraine's diplomatic and other official representations, as well as consular offices.

The CEC statement advised that Ukrainian citizens abroad - if they are not on the consular registry, and do not have voter certificates ("vidkripni posvidchennia") issued by their home voting districts that enable them to cast their ballots at any polling station - have through October 23 to register with the appropriate voting district for inclusion on the voters' list. A citizen must provide a statement listing the address where he/she resides abroad and his/her address in Ukraine. In addition, he/she must provide one of several documents that identify him/her as a citizen of Ukraine, such as a Ukrainian citizen's passport, a Ukrainian passport for travel abroad, a diplomatic passport, a service passport, a sailor's ID card or a crew member's ID card.

Persons already on a consular registry need only present a statement asking to be included on the voters' list along with one of the aforementioned documents of identification. They may do so at any time before election day, or on election day, October 31.

Passports issued by the former USSR are not valid. Persons who hold expired Soviet passports are advised to contact a consular office of Ukraine in order to obtain a proper passport document. Persons whose Ukrainian passports have expired are advised to renew their passports with consular authorities.

For further information in the Ukrainian language about voting procedures and polling stations, readers may log on to the websites of the Ukrainian Embassy in Canada, www.ukremb.ca, and the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States, www.ukraineinfo.us.

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