WARDEN MESSAGE

Absentee Voting: Frequently Asked Questions

The deadline for registering to vote absentee for the U.S. General Elections in most states is October 4, so if you are a U.S. citizen 18 years or older, you need to act fast. 

Please note that the U.S. Embassy does not have access to individual states’ voting ballots.  Polling is not done at the U.S. Embassy on the day of the elections.

How do I register to vote absentee?

If you would like to vote, you must register with your local registrar in your state of residency by your state’s deadline.  Your "legal state of residence" for voting purposes is generally the state where you last resided immediately prior to departure from the United States.

You can fill out an absentee voting registration form by following the instructions for your specific state at the official Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) website: http://www.fvap.gov/overseas-citizens/request-registration-absentee-ballot/index.html.

If you require hands-on assistance filling out your absentee voting registration forms, please come to the Consular Section any day between 1:00 and 3:00 PM that we are open.  (Check here to see if we are opened: http://nicaragua.usembassy.gov/holidays.html.)

If I’m already registered to vote do I still need to request an absentee ballot?

Yes, those registered to vote in their home states still need to request an absentee ballot.  The same form used to register to vote is used to request an absentee ballot: http://www.fvap.gov/overseas-citizens/request-registration-absentee-ballot/index.html.

How often should I request an absentee ballot?

The absentee voting registration form (http://www.fvap.gov/resources/media/fpca.pdf) registers you for the next two regularly scheduled Federal elections, unless you specify otherwise in Block 6 of the form. Depending on your state of residence, you may also receive ballots for local and state offices during the selected period as well. We recommend that you submit an absentee voting registration form in January of each year and again each time you change your mailing address.

Do I really list my convoluted Nicaraguan address as my current address (Block 4a of the form)?

Yes!  You are required to list your current physical address – no matter how unusual it might be – in block 4a of the form.  If you have no confidence in receiving mail at your current physical address, you can enter a forwarding address in block 4b of this form.

How do I mail in my voting materials?

Your state may allow faxing or emailing to speed the process, but in many cases (not all) you will still need to send in your voting materials by mail.  The U.S. Embassy is pleased to send your election materials, free of charge, to your local election official.  A postage-paid envelope template, valid if you are sending your voting materials through the Embassy (or through the U.S postal system), is available here: http://www.fvap.gov/resources/media/returnenvelope.pdf.  Envelopes are also available at the U.S. Embassy from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, any day that we are open.  You can also pay to have your voting materials sent through commercial mail.

You can drop off your signed and sealed voting envelopes between 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM any day that the U.S. Embassy is open.  Bring your envelopes to the Consular Section entrance and place them in the locked box marked “U.S. Voting Registration Forms and Ballots.”  No lines.  No waiting.  Just drop it in the box. 

To ensure that the U.S. Embassy can properly post-mark your voting materials, we ask that all registration forms be dropped off no later than 3:00 PM Thursday, October 2.  Voting ballots for the general elections need to be delivered no later than 3:00 PM Monday, November 3.  We will, of course, mail any voting materials that arrive after those dates but cannot guarantee that they will have the post-mark date required by your state.

How can I verify that I am registered to vote absentee?

Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia allow you to verify your voter registration status online.  Some counties also provide online verification.  To verify your registration, check online or telephone, fax or email your state or county election officials directly.  Links to online verification websites and contact information for your specific election officials can be found here: http://www.fvap.gov/reference/links/index.html. 

What can I do if I do not receive my voting ballot in time?

Under normal circumstances, most states and territories begin sending ballots to overseas citizens 30 to 45 days before an election.  If you have not received your ballot within three weeks of your state’s ballot receipt deadline, you should complete and send in a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, available at http://www.fvap.gov/shortcuts/get-backup-fed-write-in-ballot/index.html, and also available in the Consular Section between 1:00 and 3:00 PM any day the Embassy is open.  Make sure your ballot is witnessed if required by your state.

Please keep in mind that the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot -- i.e., the “back-up ballot” – can only be used by those who have registered by their state’s deadline.

Have questions about voting absentee?  Just send us an email: ACS.Managua@state.gov.

If you did not receive this message directly and would like to receive future warden messages directly from the U.S. Embassy, please register or re-register with the U.S. Embassy online: http://nicaragua.usembassy.gov/register_with_us2.html. 

---

The U.S. Embassy in Managua is located at Km 5 ½ C. Sur Managua, Nicaragua.  The U.S. Embassy in Managua can be reached 24/7 at 011-505-2-252-7100.  For emergencies (deaths, arrests, etc.) after hours, U.S. citizens can call this phone number and ask for the Embassy Duty Officer.  The ACS unit is also available by email at ACS.Managua@state.gov. 

General information regarding consular services is available by calling 011- 505-2-252-7888.  Non-emergency services for U.S. citizens are available Monday through Friday, 1:00 to 3:00 PM, except on Nicaraguan and U.S. holidays

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings can be found.  Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).