Dear American Citizens,
To most easily vote in the November 2016 elections, we recommend that overseas U.S. citizens complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) card. Whether you are a first-time voter or have already received ballots and voted absentee in past elections, you should consider completing an FPCA each year participating in elections as an overseas absentee voter.
Embassy Ulaanbaatar has an ample supply of FPCA forms available. You can pick-up a new form, or drop off a completed form (and ballot addressed to your local election officials) during the following American Citizen Services hours:
Tuesdays, 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm
There is no need to schedule an appointment to pick-up or drop-off voting forms. Please note that, normal duration for materials to transit from Ulaanbaatar to the United States is 10-15 business days.
PLEASE NOTE: American Citizen Service’s appointments for the month of September will change to Tuesdays from 1:30pm – 3:00pm. These hours apply to services other than voting assistance, such as passports, notarial, reports of birth abroad, etc. Appointments for these services must be made online at: http://mongolia.usembassy.gov/acs-appointments.html.
If you have never voted while overseas before, the process is easy – just follow these steps:
1. Request Your Ballot: Complete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). You should complete a new FPCA after January 1, 2016 to ensure that you receive your ballot for the 2016 election. 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.
2. Receive and Complete Your Ballot: States are required to send out ballots 45 days before a regular election for federal office. States generally send out ballots at least 30 days before primary elections. For most states, you can confirm your registration and ballot delivery online.
3. Return Your Completed Ballot: Some states allow you to return your completed ballot electronically, while others do not. If your state requires you to return paper voting forms or ballots to local election officials, you can do so free of charge at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Place your ballots in postage paid return envelopes, or in envelopes bearing sufficient domestic U.S. postage, and address them to the relevant local election officials.
Researching the Candidates and Issues: Check out the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s (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 online. 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 and Twitter.
If you have any questions about registering to vote overseas, please email us at UlaanbaatarACS@state.gov; for urgent inquiries, contact (976) 7007-6014 and ask the switchboard operator to connect you to the Consular Section.
Remember, your vote counts!
