Your vote counts! Did you know that many U.S. elections for house and senate have been decided by a margin smaller than the number of ballots cast by absentee voters? All states are required to count every absentee ballot as long as it is valid and reaches local election officials by the absentee ballot receipt deadline.
Follow a few simple steps to make sure that you can vote in U.S. elections:
- Request Your Ballot: Complete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). You must complete a new FPCA after January 1, 2020 to ensure you receive your ballot for the 2020 elections. The completion of the FPCA allows you to request absentee ballots for all elections for federal offices (President, U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives) including primaries and special elections during the calendar year in which it is submitted. The FPCA is accepted by all local election officials in all U.S. states and territories.
You can complete the FPCA online at FVAP.gov. The online voting assistant will ask you questions specific to your state. We encourage you to ask your local election officials to deliver your blank ballots to you electronically (by email, internet download, or fax, depending on your state). Include your email address on your FPCA to take advantage of the electronic ballot delivery option. Return the FPCA per the instructions on the website. FVAP.gov will tell you if your state allows the FPCA to be returned electronically or if you must submit a paper copy with original signature. If you must return a paper version, please see below for mailing options.
- Receive and Complete Your Ballot: States are required to send out ballots 45 days before a regular election for federal office and states generally send out ballots at least 30 days before primary elections. For most states, you can confirm your registration and ballot delivery online.
- Return Your Completed, Signed Ballot: Some states allow you to return your completed ballot electronically and others do not. If your state requires you to return paper voting forms or ballots to local election officials by mail, you can do so through international mail, or professional courier service, or through the American Citizens Services unit at U.S. Embassy Prague.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we stand ready to assist Americans voting from overseas! If you are sending your ballot through U.S. Embassy Prague, ballots can be dropped off at the American Citizens Services unit any business day from 8:30 a.m. to noon or from 1 to 3 p.m. Please bring some form of ID, preferably your U.S. passport. Ballots should be sealed but will be x-rayed. Ballots must be placed in postage paid return envelopes or in envelopes bearing sufficient U.S. domestic postage so they may be delivered to the proper local election authorities (NOTE: postage from Czech Republic to the United States is not required using this method). Please note that all visitors to U.S. Embassy Prague are subject to security screening and you may not be permitted to bring electronic devices, including cell phones, inside the facility. We will send your signed, sealed ballot via diplomatic post office (DPO) to the United States. Transit times can vary but may be up to 3-4 weeks so please plan ahead. Please be sure to drop your ballots off at the embassy before October 12, 2020. All overseas U.S. citizens are advised to submit their forms and ballots accordingly.
If it’s more convenient for you, you can also return your FPCA or ballot to your local election officials via international mail or professional courier service at your own expense.
Researching the Candidates and Issues: Online Resources. Check out the FVAP links page for helpful resources that will aid your research of candidates and issues. Non-partisan information about candidates, their voting records, and their positions on issues are widely available and easy to obtain on-line. You can also read national and hometown newspapers on-line, or search the internet to locate articles and information.
For information about election dates and deadlines, subscribe to FVAP’s Voting Alerts (vote@fvap.gov). FVAP also shares Voting Alerts via Facebook (@DODFVAP), Twitter (@FVAP), and Instagram (@fvapgov).
Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s (FVAP) website, FVAP.gov. If you have any questions about registering to vote overseas, please contact Embassy Prague’s Voting Assistance Officer at VotePrague@state.gov.
Remember, your vote counts!
