August 20, 2020
THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN RANGOON IS TRANSMITTING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION THROUGH THE AMERICAN LIAISON NETWORK AS A PUBLIC SERVICE TO U.S. CITIZENS IN BURMA. PLEASE DISSEMINATE THIS MESSAGE TO ALL U.S. CITIZENS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION OR NEIGHBORHOOD.
Americans overseas, now is the time to request your absentee ballot for the general elections.
Getting Started
Complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) using FVAP’s easy online assistant. You should request to receive your ballot electronically, either by e-mail or through a state’s elections portal. For states that do not send ballots electronically, see our important message below. If your state requires you to submit the FPCA by mail, you can do so free of charge at the U.S. Embassy in Yangon.
How do I mail my ballot or FPCA to the States?
The best method to send your absentee ballot or FPCA is to drop it off at the Embassy, per the instructions below, so that it is postmarked. Make sure you bring it in before your state’s deadline (check FVAP.gov), and remember to allow 2-4 weeks for it to arrive at your local election office after you leave it at the Embassy.
Bring your sealed, addressed, postage-paid envelope to the Embassy from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday, excluding Embassy holidays. No appointment is needed! Do not drop off your ballot with guards at the Embassy’s front gate; come inside the Embassy and hand-deliver it to consular staff. If you are unable to bring the ballot in person, another person can bring your sealed ballot to the Embassy on your behalf. Note: Your ballot must be placed in postage paid return envelopes or envelopes bearing sufficient domestic U.S. postage, and addressed to relevant local election officials.
I see the envelope has to be stamped. How do I get U.S. stamps in Myanmar?
The ballots for most states come with a postage-paid envelope, or one that can be downloaded and printed. If your state requires postage, USPS.com and Stamps.com offer options to purchase and print envelopes with prepaid postage. You only need domestic U.S. postage, as the Embassy will take care of getting your ballot to the United States.
Do I have to send my ballot or FPCA through the Embassy?
No, you can also send it via international courier services like UPS (known locally as UCL) or DHL for a fee, and paying for express service means your ballot or FPCA could arrive earlier. However, when you drop it off at the Embassy, your envelope will be postmarked, which is important if your local election office needs to rely on postmark to determine if your ballot was mailed in time.
Will my ballot arrive here in time?
You should request to receive your ballot electronically. Some states only send ballots by mail, and as USPS international mail is currently suspended to Burma due to COVID-19, it is unlikely that your ballot will arrive in time if mailed. If that is the case, please double-check with your local election official about alternate ballot transmission options. Some states will fax ballots. Even if your state will only mail ballots, request an absentee ballot anyway, as you can still vote as below.
What happens if my ballot does not arrive in time?
If your ballot does not arrive in time, you can use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) as a backup ballot and mail it from the Embassy. You can access the FWAB here. Depending on your state, the FWAB may only cover federal elections and may not allow you to vote in state or local elections. If your official absentee ballot arrives after sending in the FWAB, fill out and send in the official ballot as well. Your state will count only one. Note: your state may require you to first register and request an absentee ballot before you can use the FWAB. Please check with your state’s elections office.
Embassy Assistance
For more information about voting, please see our prior alert on voting in the 2020 elections.
If you have any questions about registering to vote overseas, please email ACSRangoon@state.gov.
For updates on election dates and deadlines, subscribe to FVAP’s Voting Alerts (vote@fvap.gov). FVAP also shares Voting Alerts via Facebook (@DODFVAP), Twitter (@FVAP), and Instagram (@fvapgov).
For the latest Embassy information on the COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar, visit our COVID-19 page.
U.S. Embassy Rangoon
110 University Ave, Kamayut Township, Yangon
+95-1-753-6509 from outside Burma
01-753-6509 from within Burma
State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444
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Follow us on Twitter (@ACSRangoon).
