Absentee Voting Week is September 27-October 4
Be an Active Voter by taking the necessary steps to vote in the 2020 U.S. elections and participating in Absentee Voting Week!
1. Complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)
Whether you are a first-time voter or have voted absentee in past elections, we recommend that you complete an FPCA to receive your ballot this fall. It allows you to register to vote and request absentee ballots for all elections for federal offices (presidential and state primaries, run-off, special, and the November general elections) during the course of the year in which you submit the FPCA. Local election officials in all U.S. states and territories accept the FPCA.
The online voting assistant available at FVAP.gov is an easy way to complete the FPCA. It will ask you questions specific to your state and tell you if electronic ballot delivery is possible. No matter which state you vote in, 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). Be sure to include your email address to take advantage of electronic delivery. The online voting assistant will generate a printable FPCA, which you can then print and sign.
2. Submit the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)
In many states, the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) can be submitted online. Alternatively, the FPCA can be dropped off to the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau’s American Citizen Services unit, located at 26 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, except public holidays. Please ensure the FPCA is sealed in a postage pre-paid envelope or in an envelope with sufficient domestic U.S. postage, addressed to the relevant election officials. Bring your U.S. passport for entry to the U.S. Consulate General. Please note that all visitors to the consulate are subject to security screening and you will not be permitted to bring electronic devices, including cell phones, inside the facility. Please refer here for a list of prohibited items and information about nearby storage facilities.
If it’s more convenient for you, you can have a friend or family member drop off your FPCA at the U.S. Consulate General on your behalf or you can send your FPCA or ballot directly to your local election officials via international mail or professional courier service at your own expense.
3. Receive Your Ballot
After submitting your FPCA, most states allow you to confirm online your registration and ballot delivery selection. States are now required to send out ballots 45 days before an election (September 19) for federal office (President, U.S. Senate, or U.S. House of Representatives) to any overseas U.S. citizen who has completed an FPCA.
4. Return Your Ballot
We recommend that if you plan to return your paper ballot to your election officials via the U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong and Macau, please return your ballot by October 2 to account for transit times between overseas posts and local voting districts. If you wish to drop off your ballot, or have a friend or colleague drop it off for you, place it in either a postage-paid envelope or envelope bearing domestic U.S. postage addressed to your local election officials. You can download the postage paid envelope (PDF 134 KB) from the FVAP.gov website. Ballots can be dropped off to the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau’s American Citizen Services unit, located at 26 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, except public holidays.
If there isn’t enough time to receive and send back your ballot before the election, use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). It is a backup ballot you can use if you don’t receive your ballot in a timely manner. If your official absentee ballot arrives after sending in the FWAB, fill out and send in the official ballot too. Only one will be counted.
Your Vote Counts
Many U.S. elections within the past ten years have been decided by a margin of victory of less than 0.1%. 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 (differs by state).
Be an educated voter. Check out the FVAP links page for helpful resources that will aid your research of candidates and issues. You can also read national and hometown newspapers online, and search the Internet to locate articles and information.
To receive information by email 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 contact the U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong and Macau’s Voting Assistance Officer via email (acshk@state.gov) or via telephone (2841-2211) from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, except public holidays.
- U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong & Macau
+852 2841 2211
+852 2523 9011 (after hours)
ACSHK@state.gov - State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444 - Hong Kong Country Information
- Macau Country Information
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts
- Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
