If you plan to vote in the November 2020 election it is important to ACT NOW! Don’t wait, return your voted ballot right away! Remember U.S. embassies and consulates are not polling places; same-day in-person voting is not available outside the United States – but you can get assistance in requesting and returning your absentee ballot. Many states require voted ballots to reach local election officials by the close of polls on Tuesday, November 3.
The Department of State is committed to assisting overseas voters in casting their ballots. For instructions on how to vote from Canada please see our website. For general overseas voting information please see the Department of State’s web site Absentee Voting Information for U.S. Citizens Abroad or FVAP.gov.
Never received your ballot? If you registered to vote and requested an absentee ballot prior to your state’s registration deadline, but have not yet received your ballot, complete and return a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot to ensure your vote reaches election officials by your state’s deadline. If your regular ballot arrives later, complete and return it as well. Your Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot will only be counted if your regular ballot does not reach local election officials by your state’s deadline. Your vote will not be counted twice.
RETURNING YOUR BALLOT:
Note that the U.S. Postal Service recommends voters mail their completed ballots before Election Day and at least one week prior to your state’s deadline. To allow processing time between Department of State and U.S. Postal Service systems we recommend you drop off your ballot at the U.S. Embassy or closest consulate to you by October 13 (see all locations below). Ballots received after that date will be forwarded but may arrive too late to be counted. Please also check the regulations in the state in which you vote as deadlines may differ, and you may have alternative voting options such as electronic voting or by fax.
The above timeline is based on current local and U.S. conditions, which are subject to change. Should conditions change and impact the timeline we will alert you. We strongly recommend you submit your ballot as far in advance as possible.
If you wish to drop off your ballot, or have a friend or colleague drop it off for you, place it in either a U.S. postage-paid envelope (provided with the ballot) or an envelope bearing domestic U.S. postage addressed to your local election officials.
You can get voting assistance from the embassy/consulate or drop off your completed voting forms and ballots, addressed to your local election officials, during the following hours:
- U.S. Embassy Ottawa accepts ballot at the entrance at 490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1N 1G8. Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm. Questions? Send e-mail to VoteOttawa@state.gov.
- U.S. Consulate General Calgary accepts ballots inside the security screening area on the first floor of Rocky Mountain Plaza, 615 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary, AB, T2G 2M1. Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm. Questions? Send e-mail to VoteCalgary@state.gov.
- U.S. Consulate General Halifax accepts ballots at the entrance at 1969 Upper Water Street, Suite 904, Purdy’s Wharf, Tower II, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 3R7. Monday-Friday, 12pm-4pm. Questions? Send e-mail to VoteHalifax@state.gov.
- U.S. Consulate General Montreal accepts ballots at the entrance at 1134 St Catherine Street (corner of Stanley), Montreal, QC H3B 1H4. Monday-Wednesday-Friday, 1pm-4pm. Questions? Send e-mail to VoteMontreal@state.gov.
- U.S. Consulate General Quebec accepts ballots at the entrance at 2 Place Terrasse Dufferin, Quebec, QC G1R 4T9. Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm. Questions? Send e-mail to VoteQuebec@state.gov.
- U.S. Consulate General Toronto accepts ballots at the entrance at 225 Simcoe Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1S4. Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm. Questions? Send e-mail to VoteToronto@state.gov.
- U.S. Consulate General Vancouver accepts ballots at the entrance at 1075 Pender St. West, Vancouver, BC, V6E 2M6. Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm. Questions? Send e-mail to VoteVancouver@state.gov.
Please ensure your ballot is sealed in an envelope and addressed as requested for your state.
Missed the U.S. Embassy Canada’s recommended shipment deadline? Consider returning your ballot to the United States via a commercial express courier service such as FedEx, UPS, or DHL or return your voted ballot electronically if allowed by your state. Ballots sent to local election officials via express courier service do not receive standard postmarks, so voters using this method should confirm delivery on or before November 3 prior to payment and shipment. Check your state’s voting procedures at www.FVAP.gov for guidance.
Returning your Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot by email or fax. Review your state’s voting procedures at www.FVAP.gov carefully for guidance.
Returning your ballot by international mail delivery. If using Canada’s postal system, be sure to affix sufficient international postage, and allow sufficient time for international mail delivery. Ballots sent via Canada Post after October 13 are unlikely to reach local election officials by state ballot receipt deadlines, so you may need to consider another method.
HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT OVERSEAS VOTING. Please help spread the word to your friends, family, and colleagues that now is the time to start thinking about overseas voting. Consider posting to your Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or other social media account that you are an active voter and will be dropping off or mailing your Federal Post Card Application or completed ballot. Use #ProudOverseasVoter to help get the word out about voting.
Have Questions? You can also contact the Federal Voting Assistance Program directly if you encounter issues with local election officials by emailing Vote@FVAP.gov or toll free by phone from many countries around the world.
Confirm your registration and ballot delivery online. Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s (FVAP) website at www.FVAP.gov.
