Upcoming Elections
Visit the FVAP website to find a complete schedule of upcoming state and federal elections.
Dropping your ballot off at the U.S. Embassy or Consulates:
U.S. Embassy Mexico City accepts in-person drop-off of absentee ballots on days the Embassy is normally open between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. without appointment. Bring completed, sealed, and stamped voting materials to our Embassy’s main entrance on Reforma Avenue. Our staff member will direct you where to place your voting materials. If you prefer to drop your ballot at your nearest Consulate or Consular Agency, check with that location to see if in-person ballot drop-off is available. Send questions to: VoteMexicoCity@groups.state.gov.
You may also mail your ballot in its sealed voting envelope to:
U.S. Embassy Mexico City
American Citizen Services
Room 101 Voting Assistance Officer
Av. Paseo de la Reforma 305
Col. Cuauhtémoc, 06500
Ciudad de Mexico
In order to mail election-related materials to the United States, you will need two envelopes. Address the first envelope to the U.S. Embassy at the mailing address above. Address the second envelope to your local state election office and enclose your Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) or ballot inside. The second (internal) envelope needs to be postage-paid or have sufficient U.S. postage affixed to be delivered to your local election office from the U.S. sorting facility in Texas where it will be mailed. Seal the second envelope, place it inside the first envelope, and mail the package to the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. It can take up to four weeks for election-related materials to reach their final destination in the United States.
General Information
Absentee Voting Basics
Absentee voting is a simple two-step process. Every year, send a completed FPCA to your local election officials, who confirm your eligibility to vote and put your name on a list to receive absentee ballots for any elections held that calendar year. You then receive a blank absentee ballot electronically or by mail. You can then complete the ballot and return it before your state’s deadline.
Return your FPCA by mail or check your state-specific guidance on whether there is an option to return your FPCA by fax or email. If you need help completing or submitting the form, contact the voting assistance officer (addresses below).
Receiving your Blank Absentee Ballot
Forty-five days before the November general elections, your state will either send your blank ballot to you electronically or mail it to the address you provided on your FPCA. Ballots are generally mailed out only 30 days before primary, special, and run-off elections. Depending on your state and your status abroad, you might receive absentee ballots for all elections or abbreviated ballots for elections for federal offices only.
Using an Emergency Write-In Ballot
If you have not received your ballot 30 days before an election, you should complete and submit a FWAB. Write in the candidates of your choice, print it, sign it, and send it to your local election office. If your regular absentee ballot arrives later, fill it out and send it back too. Your FWAB will be counted only if your regular ballot does not reach your local election officials by your state’s deadline. Following this procedure will not invalidate your vote or result in two votes being cast.
Voting and Returning Your Ballot
Complete your ballot carefully and legibly and return it to your local election officials before your state’s ballot receipt deadline. Send it back as early as possible.
Overseas voters have several options for returning completed ballots:
- Local mail– If you have access to reliable mail service to the United States, you may choose to put your ballot in the local mail with appropriate international postage.
- S. Embassy Pouch/APO/FPO– You may mail your ballot request or voted ballot to the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for return to the United States. It must be addressed to your local election officials and have sufficient postage or be in a postage-paid envelope. A postage-paid envelope is available on the FVAP website .
- Fax, Email, or Internet – Several states now allow the electronic return of voted ballots. Consult the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s Voting Assistance Guide for electronic transmission options for your state.
- Express Courier Service– If time is short or local mail is unreliable, you may use professional courier services such as FedEx, DHL, or UPS to return your registration or ballot.
What the Embassy Can Do:
Voting Assistance Officers (VAO) are here to answer all your voting questions as well as provide voting forms, materials, and guidance. If you have questions, please write to the VAO at your nearest Embassy or consulate location:
Contacting the Federal Voting Assistance Program:
If you would like more information on the Federal Voting Assistance Program or need help with the absentee voting process, please visit https://www.fvap.gov, call +1-800-438-8683 (toll-free, direct dial from Mexico), or email vote@fvap.gov.
Election updates:
To learn more about election updates in your state, please go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program guide. You can download a U.S. postage-paid envelope for your ballot.
Mailing addresses for the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico:
- U.S. Embassy Mexico City American Citizen Services, Room 101 Voting Assistance Officer Av. Paseo de la Reforma 305 Col. Cuauhtémoc, 06500 Ciudad de Mexico
- U.S. Consulate General Ciudad Juarez Voting Assistance Officer Paseo de la Victoria 3650 Fracc. Partido Senecu, 32543 Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua
- U.S. Consulate General Guadalajara Voting Assistance Officer Calle Progreso 175 Col. Americana, 44160 Guadalajara, Jalisco
- U.S. Consulate General Hermosillo Voting Assistance Officer Avenida Monterrey 141 Col. Esqueda, 83000 Hermosillo, Sonora
- U.S. Consulate General Matamoros Voting Assistance Officer Calle Constitución No. 1 Colonia Jardín, 87330 Matamoros, Tamaulipas
- U.S. Consulate General Merida Voting Assistance Officer Calle 60 No. 338-K x 29 y 31 Col. Alcala Martin, 97050 Merida, Yucatan
- U.S. Consulate General Monterrey Voting Assistance Officer Ave. Alfonso Reyes 150 Col. Valle del Poniente, 66196 Santa Catarina, Nuevo León
- U.S. Consulate General Nogales Voting Assistance Officer Calle San José s/n Fraccionamiento los Alamos, 84065 Nogales, Sonora
- U.S. Consulate General Nuevo Laredo Voting Assistance Officer Paseo Colon 1901 Col. Madero, 88260 Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
- U.S. Consulate General Tijuana Voting Assistance Officer Paseo de las Culturas s/n Mesa de Otay, Delegación Centenario, 22425 Tijuana, Baja California
Voting Eligibility
Almost all U.S. citizens 18 years or older who reside outside the United States are eligible to vote absentee for candidates for federal offices in U.S. primary and general elections. In addition, some states allow U.S. citizens abroad to vote for candidates for state and local offices, as well as for state and local referendums. For information regarding your specific state, visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s Voting Assistance Guide or the Overseas Vote Foundation website . The Overseas Vote Foundation is a non-partisan voter advocacy organization.
For voting purposes, your state of legal residence is generally the state where you resided immediately before leaving the United States, even if you no longer own or rent property or intend to return there in the future. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia specifically allow U.S. citizens who have never resided in the United States to register where a parent would be eligible to vote. Direct your questions about eligibility to your local election office.
Verifying Your Registration
Most states now have websites where you can verify your registration. If you are unsure of your voter registration status, or want to confirm that local officials have received and approved your registration, check the FVAP website for a directory of state voter registration verification websites. You can also write, email, or call your local election office directly.
Be an Educated Voter
Check out the FVAP links page for helpful resources that will aid your research of candidates and issues you care about.
Voting and Taxes
Voting for candidates for federal offices does not affect your federal or state tax liability. Voting for candidates for state or local offices could affect your state tax liability. Consult legal counsel if you have questions.