U.S. Embassy, Santiago
January 31, 2018
VOTING IN 2018 U.S. ELECTIONS
Your vote counts! Did you know that many U.S. elections for house and senate seats have been decided by a margin smaller than the number of ballots cast by absentee voters? All states are required to count every absentee ballot as long as it is valid and reaches local election officials by the absentee ballot receipt deadline.
Follow a few simple steps to make sure that you can vote in the 2018 U.S. elections:
1. Request Your Ballot:
Complete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). You must complete a new FPCA after January 1, 2018 to ensure you receive your ballot for the 2018 elections. 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 www.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 and 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 by email or fax. If your state requires you to return paper voting forms or ballots to local election officials, you can use international mail, a courier service such as FedEx or DHL, or you may also drop off completed voting materials Monday through Friday from 9 am to 4 pm at the U.S. Embassy in Santiago. (Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago). Place your materials in a postage paid return envelope (available for print under “Downloadable Election Materials” on the FVAP homepage or by clicking here) and address it to the relevant local election officials. We have placed a secure voting box at the entrance of the Embassy so you can drop off your ballot quickly and with no delays.
4. New this year – email to fax service by FVAP! –
The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) will provide an email-to-fax conversion service for voters who have difficulty sending election materials to States that do not accept emailed documents. Get more information here.
Researching the Candidates and Issues: Online Resources. Check out the 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 online, 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.
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 the U.S. Citizen Services Unit at U.S. Embassy Santiago by emailing VoteSantiago@state.gov .
Remember, your vote counts!
Be absent but accounted for!
The U.S. Embassy strongly recommends that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Chile enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the U.S. embassy or nearest U.S. consulate to contact you in an emergency. If you don’t have Internet access, enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
Regularly monitor the State Department’s website, where you can find current Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and the Worldwide Caution. Read the Country Specific Information for Chile. For additional information, please refer to our “Traveler’s Checklist” page.
Contact the U.S. Embassy in Chile for up-to-date security information. The U.S. Embassy in Santiago is located at Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago and is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm (telephone number: +56 22 330 3716). If you are a U.S. citizen in need of urgent assistance, the emergency number for the U.S. Embassy is +56 22 330 3000.
You may also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free from within the United States and Canada, or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
