2020 Runoff Election Reminder For US Citizens Abroad

The U.S. 2020 general elections have passed, but election season is not over! If you vote in a state or jurisdiction with runoff elections for federal and local offices, the U.S. Embassy in Bogota can assist with the return of your voting materials.

Register and Request an Absentee Ballot

Find the website for your local election official at FVAP.gov, and see whether your local jurisdiction has runoff elections. Georgia and Louisiana have runoff elections for federal offices, and other states and jurisdictions may have runoff elections for local seats.

Finance Colombia redistributes this message from the US State Department as a service to its readers

If you are a voter in a jurisdiction with an upcoming election, check your local calendar carefully for deadlines for voter registration, ballot request, and ballot receipt. If you have already voted absentee in 2020, you generally do not need to reregister as an absentee voter, but you will need to request an absentee ballot and to submit a voted ballot for the runoff election.

Return your Voting Materials

If your state allows for electronic submission of voting materials (your voter registration, ballot request, or voted ballot), we strongly recommend that you take advantage of those electronic options.

If you must send physical voting materials, consider using a commercial express courier such as DHL, FedEx, or UPS. Alternatively, you can use the U.S. Embassy’s diplomatic mail (DPO) system. Consult our prior message here for further instructions on mailing physical voting materials through the DPO. Note that the DPO can take up to four weeks for your voting materials to reach your election official. We do not recommend using local mail to return your voting materials to the United States.

Remember that the U.S. Embassy in Bogota is not a polling location. You will not be able to vote in person at the U.S. Embassy on the date of your state’s runoff elections.

For further information, consult the Federal Voter Assistance Program at FVAP.gov or email us at [email protected].

Remember, your vote counts!

Further Assistance: 

• U.S. Embassy Bogota, Colombia
  Tel. +57-1-275-2000
  [email protected]
  https://co.usembassy.gov/
• U.S. Consular Agency, Barranquilla
  [email protected]
• U.S. Department of State – Consular Affairs
  1-888-407-4747 or 1-202-501-4444
• Colombia Country Information
• Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Photo Credit: Elvert Barnes, Flickr