U.S. Embassy In Nicaragua

Message for U.S. Citizens: How to Vote from Overseas – July 29, 2022

The United States will be having various local, state, and national elections this fall. The Federal Voting Assistant Program is the one-stop shop for all information on voting from overseas. Please visit their website here for comprehensive information on voting in your next election.

U.S. citizens living overseas have the right and responsibility to vote in U.S. elections, and the U.S. Embassy in Managua is here to help!

Follow these 5 easy steps to vote:

1. Determine which state you should vote in. Your voting residence is the last address you lived at before leaving the United States, regardless of your current ties to that state. Find more information regarding voting residence here.
2. Register to vote. Register by completing the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). We recommend you register to vote every year to keep your information with your state current. The FPCA allows you to request your absentee ballots. We recommend that you request to receive your ballots electronically (by email, internet download, etc. depending on your state). This online voting assistant will help you fill out the FPCA online. You must print, sign, and mail the completed form. If you want the U.S. Embassy to mail your FPCA for you, follow these instructions: Print this S. postage paid envelope. Place your signed and completed FPCA in this envelope, seal the envelope, and drop the envelope off inside the Consular entrance of the U.S. Embassy (Kilometer 5 ½, Carretera Sur). The envelope can be dropped off between 7:15 am and 4:30 pm Monday-Thursday and between 7:15 am and 2:00 pm on Fridays. (You also have the option to send the FPCA to your local election officials through international mail or professional courier service at your own expense).
3. Receive your ballot. Election officials are required to send absentee ballots no later than 45 days before an election to those who are registered and have requested a ballot. All states must allow you to receive your ballot electronically, when requested, and most states allow you to confirm your registration and ballot delivery online.
4. Research candidates. The Federal Voting Assistance Program website has a page of links to aid your research.
5. Vote! Some states allow you to return your ballot electronically. If you plan to mail your ballot physically, you must follow the same instructions as Step 3: Print this S. postage paid envelope. Place your signed and completed ballot in this envelope, seal the envelope, and drop the envelope off inside the Consular entrance of the U.S. Embassy (Kilometer 5 ½, Carretera Sur). The envelope can be dropped off between 7:15 am and 4:30 pm Monday-Thursday and between 7:15 am and 2:00 pm on Fridays. (You also have the option to send the ballot to your local election officials through international mail or professional courier service at your own expense).

NOTE: If you drop off your FPCA or ballot at the U.S. Embassy without a U.S. postage paid envelope or without sufficient U.S. postage, USPS will not deliver it. The U.S. Embassy takes no responsibility for delivery of FPCAs and ballots received without postage.

If you have any additional questions, please contact us at VoteManagua@state.gov.