How US Citizens Can Register to Vote in 2024 Elections and Cast a Ballot from Colombia

The following notice was released by the US Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) to help inform US citizens about how they can vote from overseas.

Finance Colombia is re-publishing it here in full as a courtesy to our readers. Please reach out to the agency if you have any questions.

Registering to vote and submitting a ballot is fast, easy, and can be done from anywhere in the world

Start by confirming your voter registration with your state  Some states require absentee voters to register annually so you may need to re-register.  Go to FVAP.gov to connect to your state’s voter portal to register to vote, request a ballot, and more.  Once you confirm your registration, follow a few simple steps to vote in the 2024 U.S. elections:

1.   Request Your Ballot

Most states provide the option to request ballots through their state election portals, which you can easily access via FVAP.gov.  You can also choose to complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). 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.  FPCA forms that are correctly filled out and include a signature and date are accepted by all local election officials in every U.S. state and territory.  FVAP’s easy online assistant can assist you with completing the FPCA.

Whether you request your ballot through your state’s portal or the FPCA, we encourage you to select the option for receiving your ballot electronically (by email, internet download, or fax) when available.  This is the fastest way for you to get your ballot and ensures you have it in time to return a completed form before your state’s deadline.

2.   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.  Most states allow you to confirm your ballot delivery online.

3.   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, professional courier service, or through U.S. Embassy Bogota’s diplomatic pouch.  The diplomatic pouch provides free mail service from embassies and consulates to a U.S. sorting facility.  You will need to place your ballots in U.S. postage-paid return envelopes or in envelopes bearing sufficient U.S. postage in order for them to be delivered to the proper local election authorities.

If using the diplomatic pouch, ballots may be dropped off at the U.S. Embassy, Carrera 45 No. 24B-27 Bogotá, D.C., at Gate 2, the main vehicle gate, during business hours Monday through Friday.  Please note that it can take up to four weeks for mail to reach its destination if sent by an embassy or consulate via diplomatic pouch.  All overseas U.S. citizens are advised to submit their forms and ballots accordingly.

Researching the Candidates and Issues/Online Resources

Go to the FVAP links page for helpful resources to 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 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 ([email protected]).  FVAPalso shares Voting Alerts via Facebook (@DODFVAP), X (formerly Twitter) (@FVAP), and Instagram (@fvapgov).

You can 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 U.S. Embassy Bogota at [email protected].