The US Embassy to Bucharest urges American citizens living in Romania to vote in the upcoming mid-term elections. According to an Embassy message to US citizens, Consul General James Gray says this year's federal elections are particularly important in determining which party will take the majority in Congress, thereby possibly deciding the legislative agenda for the remainder of Barack Obama￢s term as president.

The US Embassy message:

Americans in Romania... Vote!

U.S. Embassy urges American citizens to vote in upcoming mid-term election

The American federal elections in November are fast approaching and the U.S. Embassy is urging those Americans living in Romania who have still not registered in their U.S. state of residence to do so now, before it's too late.

While presidential elections tend to stir up enough media attention that there is little need to encourage people to make their vote count, Consul General James Gray explained that this year's federal elections are particularly important in determining which party will take the majority in Congress, thereby possibly deciding the legislative agenda for the remainder of Barack Obama's term as president. For his first two years in office, President Obama has enjoyed a Democratic majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives. That may change pending the outcome of the elections on 2 November, as all 435 seats in the House and 37 of the 100 Senate seats are up for grabs. Issues being debated in this election include universal health care legislation, immigration policy, and the cleaning of the gulf oil spill.

For more specific information on issues and candidates, non-partisan voter guides can be downloaded from national news websites like CNN or organizations like the League of Women Voters. Voters should also check their favorite local news source for election issues specific to their state and municipality.

U.S. citizens in Romania can make their voice heard in this year's election by making sure they are registered to vote in their state of last residency. The Federal Voting Assistance Program (www.fvap.gov/) or a non-partisan overseas voter organization like Youth Vote Overseas (yvo.overseasvotefoundation.org) can be used to confirm registration, or to check an individual state's voter registration deadlines and register online. Once voter registration is secured, U.S. citizens can choose to have a ballot sent to them by mail or email.

Overseas ballots can be filled out as soon as they are received, and in some states, they must be sent in as early as 22 October to be counted in the election results. Deadlines for individual states can be found online here.