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One week before the November 5 mid-term elections, President Bush signed into law the "Help America Vote Act of 2002." At the ceremony, Bush said, "Every registered voter deserves to have confidence that the system is fair and elections are honest, that every vote is recorded and that the rules are consistently applied. The legislation I sign today will add to the nation's confidence."

As reported by Reuters on 29 October 2002, "An estimated 2 million to 2.5 million of the more than 100 million votes cast in the 2000 election nationwide were never counted." Overseas voters, of course, fear that many of the uncounted ballots were theirs and have worked hard to see that procedures are put in place to get voting information and materials to them in time, that requirements are harmonized to make registering and voting less confusing, and that difficulties in voting from overseas are identified and progressively eliminated.

While not removing all obstacles, the new law is a major step forward, providing for the creation of a single state office responsible for:

• overseas voters,
• statistics on ballot applications and ballots sent out and received, and
• extension of the period covered by a single absentee ballot application to two regularly scheduled federal election cycles; in other words, four years.

The law authorizes $3.9 billion of federal spending in the next three years, essentially to help states replace punch-card and lever voting machines, to train poll workers, and to establish computerized statewide lists of registered voters. Congress has not formally appropriated the money, however, although sponsors of the legislation said they believed it would do so. Obviously, as Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee and dean of the Congressional Black Caucus, worries, "Without funding, this bill is an empty shell."

All of our non-partisan organizations of overseas voters must continue to monitor the process of financing and implementing this legislation which, while it will have no effect on the 2002 elections, can have a profound impact on our ability to have our voice heard in the 2004 elections.

(Thanks to Lucy Laederich of FAWCO for this item.)

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"The Social Security Administration has recently tightened the rules surrounding the issuance of Social Security Numbers to foreign nationals in the United States," reports Siskind's Immigration Bulletin of 27 September 2002, available at www.visa.law. The new policies represent an attempt to address concerns about the "integrity" of the Social Security Number.

The new policy comprises four initiatives:

• The SSA will no longer issue a number and card to non-citizens for the sole purpose of applying for a driver's license,
• A new pilot program for employers that includes an online system for verifying the names and SSNs of newly hired employees,
• Verifying with the state bureaus of vital statistics all birth records submitted by US citizens age one or older applying for a Social Security Number, and
• Verifying with the Immigration and Naturalization Service all immigration documents for non-citizens requesting a Social Security Number.

As a result of the tougher security practices, there will be an increased waiting time for Social Security Numbers. The Social Security Administration, however, is working with the INS to decrease delays.

Those needing a number for tax purposes who are unable to obtain a Social Security Number must file form W-7 with the Internal Revenue Service. This form is available at www.irs.gov or one may be obtained by calling the IRS at +1 800 8291040 or writing to IRS: ITIN Unit, PO Box 447, Bensalem, PA 19020, USA.

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This is a brief update on changes in the homeowner insurance industry. As reported earlier, insurance losses in 2001 reached almost nine billion dollars, roughly equal to the industry's losses from 1997 through 2000 combined. The industry is taking drastic measures in response. Many homeowners have been labeled "frequent claimers" and their premiums have increased dramatically. In some cases their policies have not been renewed or have been cancelled. Now the industry is taking further steps. Homeowner insurance premiums across the United States, regardless of claim history, will increase at least 20%. Since U.S. homeowners must have insurance as part of the mortgage agreements, U.S. homeowners have little choice but to increase their deductibles and pay higher premiums.

Thanks to Barbara Frew for this item. Barbara is the author of Personal Finance for Overseas Americans. She holds an MBA in finance from George Washington University and has worked abroad as a financial analyst with Citibank. She has lived in Finland, Russia, and Austria.

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For November 2002 elections, the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), instituted several new programs making it easier for overseas citizens to vote. The FVAP is the agency charged with administering the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) on behalf of the Secretary of Defense, and facilitates access to the electoral process for citizens such as absent uniformed services members and their dependents, the merchant marine members and their dependents, and overseas citizens.

The City of Chicago/Suburban Cook County delivered blank ballots to Uniformed Service voters and accompanying family members by fax or email for the 5 November 2002 General Election. These jurisdictions accepted requests for absentee ballots (Federal Post Card Application) by fax or email and sent out absentee ballots by fax and email. Completed ballots had to be returned by regular mail no later than 7 pm (Central Time) on Election Day.

Questions regarding the above may also be referred to the Director, Federal Voting Assistance Program, Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, 1155 Defense Pentagon, Washington DC 20301-1155. Additionally, the FVAP can be reached via email at vote@fvap.ncr.gov.

The Virginia State Board of Elections (SBE) made absentee voting in the 2002 November election easier for active duty military voters deployed overseas. The SBE declared a voting emergency and allowed qualified active duty military voters deployed outside of the continental United States (48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia) to request and receive an absentee ballot by email. In limited circumstances, voters were able to receive their ballot by facsimile. The emergency applies to overseas active duty military voters from all Virginia localities. Spouses and dependents are not included in these procedures.

-- Pilot Program for Other Uniformed and Overseas Voters. Virginia also ran a pilot program for other categories of voters covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), under which selected Voting jurisdictions in Virginia permitted submission of The Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) application for absentee ballot by email, and sent, under limited conditions, absentee ballots via fax. Voters could not send a voted ballot back by any type of electronic transmission, including facsimile or e-mail attachment that has been scanned into the computer. Ballots returned by fax or e-mail were not counted.

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A well-respected and innovative Canadian television production company is developing a documentary style program called "Living the Dream." The producers of this program are searching the globe for six young families who are preparing to start a new life in the location of their dreams. Specifically, they are in search of a couple (aged 25-50) with or without children who are building or renovating their dream house in their chosen paradise. If you are selected for participation, your progress will be charted in pivotal moments for one year. Interested candidates should send an e-mail to LTDresearch@hotmail.com .

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ACA is debating the pros and cons of making available a .pdf version of its hard copy quarterly News Report. Many ACA News Report (NR) readers have limited or non-existent access to electronic communications, so in any case the hard copy NR will continue to exist. A .pdf version could be made available either upon request to the ACA office (acage@aca.ch), or possibly posted on the ACA web site (www.aca.ch). Would YOU make use of such a version? If a member, would you PREFER it to receiving a hard copy, or would you use it to supplement the tangible NR? Do you have experiences in such an experiment which you can share with ACA. As always, and on all issues, we are looking for your input....

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The next issue of the News Update will come out after that very special American holiday celebrating family, life and its bounty. Warmest wishes from each and all of us at American Citizens Abroad to the worldwide American community. If you have special anecdotes related to celebrating this holiday while abroad, do share them with us!

A nomination for ACA's annual Eugene B. Abrams Award is a great way to give thanks for an American abroad who has volunteered her/his talents to help others. Numerous overseas US citizens have enriched communities worldwide, often without fanfare. To nominate a candidate, send one or more letters of nomination, with as much detail as possible, to: American Citizens Abroad, Abrams Award Committee, 5 rue Liotard, CH-1102 Geneva, Switzerland.

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