Americans Can Vote Wherever They Are!
If you have not received a requested absentee ballot in time to return it to your state, you can use The Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) as a backup ballot to vote for federal offices. The FWAB is available online at this link:https://www.fvap.gov/eo/overview/materials/forms. Hard copies of the FWAB are also available from your nearest U.S. Consulate. If your state absentee ballot arrives after sending in the FWAB, fill out and send in the official ballot as well. Your state will count only one. The Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot – FWAB States administer elections in the United States and send absentee ballots to voters away from their voting residence.
You can vote with the backup ballot if you won’t receive your regular ballot in time to send it back before the election.
Using the backup ballot is easy. Just follow these simple steps.
You will need a printer.
You will need a printer to complete this process. If you do not have a printer, save the forms and complete when a printer is available.
You’ll need Adobe Read version 6.0 or higher.
Download it here.
No personal information will be archived at any point.
If you plan to use the diplomatic pouch, drop off your completed voting forms and ballots addressed to your local election officials at the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban by October 1, 2020 during the following hours:
U.S. Consulate General Johannesburg
9:00-15:00 Tuesday-Thursday
Email questions to: VoteJohannesburg@state.gov
U.S. Consulate General Cape Town
9:00-15:00 Monday-Thursday
Email questions to: VoteCapeTown@state.gov
U.S. Consulate General Durban
10:00-15:00 Tuesday-Thursday
Email questions to: ConsularDurban@state.gov
Address and other contact information for each Consulate is below. Please note that all visitors to the Consulates must wear appropriate PPE. It can take up to five weeks for mail to reach its destination if sent by an embassy via diplomatic pouch. All overseas U.S. citizens are advised to submit their forms and ballots accordingly. Ballots will be received and forwarded whenever submitted, including after October 1, 2020, but you may want to consider using a courier service if submitting your ballot close to or after the stated delivery time for pouch mail.
For other questions, you may also refer to our Voting Information Page at the U.S. Embassy website: https://za.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/voting/ and to the Federal Voting Assistance Program at www.FVAP.gov.