U.S. Citizen Services
Voting
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U.S. Embassy Panama City, Panama Embassies and consulates are not polling places. The majority of states require voted ballots to reach local election officials by the close of polls on Tuesday, November 6. U.S. citizens who want to participate in the 2012 U.S. elections should already have returned their absentee ballots to their local election officials. U.S. embassies and consulates are not polling places; same-day in-person voting is not available outside the United States. Ballot not yet sent to local election officials? All voters who wish to participate in this election who have not yet sent their ballots to their local election officials should consider returning their ballot to the United States via an express courier service such as FedEx, UPS, or DHL. Some states or counties may allow you to return your voted ballot electronically. Check your state’s voting procedures at www.FVAP.gov for guidance. Returning your Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot by email or fax. The following states allow voters to use email or fax to send signed, voted Federal Write-in Absentee Ballots to local election officials: Arizona, California (fax only), Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Washington, and West Virginia. Check your state’s voting procedures at www.FVAP.gov for guidance. Returning ballots via express courier service. Voters can hire express courier companies such as UPS, DHL, and FedEx to return voted ballots. Through October 31, FedEx is offering discounted shipping for last-minute voters in 94 countries through the Express Your Vote program https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/overseas/ExpressYourVote.htm. Ballots sent to local election officials via express courier service do not receive standard postmarks, so voters using this method should confirm delivery on or before November 6 prior to payment and shipment. Returning your ballot by mail. Ballots sent via mail at this late date are unlikely to reach local election officials by state ballot receipt deadlines. If you still wish to send your voted ballot via mail, place your voted ballot in a U.S. postage-paid envelope addressed to your local election officials. Drop it off at the Embassy Panama, and we’ll send it back home for you without the need to pay international postage. If you can’t visit the Embassy Panama in person, ask a friend or colleague drop it off for you. If it’s easier for you to use Panama’s postal system, be sure to affix sufficient international postage, and allow sufficient time for international mail delivery. You can bring your sealed and stamped envelopes to two different places within the Embassy: If your sealed and stamped ballot envelope already has the US mailing address on the front, you may simply come in the main entry, show the entry guard your ballot envelope, drive your car to the upper level guard entry point (commonly referred to as the Service CAC), show the guard there your envelope, and someone from the Diplomatic Pouch and Mail Unit (DPMU) will accept your ballot. This option is available Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, and Fridays from 8:00 am – 11:30 am. Or If you do not know the US mailing address to put on the front of your sealed and stamped envelope, bring it to the American Citizens Services Unit, located within the Consular section, and we will assist you. We are open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, and Friday from 8:00a.m. to 10:00 a.m.. You do not need to make an appointment on line in advance to do this, but you will have to take a ticket as you enter the Embassy and wait your turn for assistance with those who do have appointments. We will try to make the wait as short as possible. Need help? You can get in-person assistance from our Embassy Panama Voting Assistance Officers at the ACS section at the US Embassy in Panama City. Have Questions? Please contact Embassy Panama’s Voting Assistance Officer at 317-5000, or at votepanama@state.gov. Confirm your registration and ballot delivery online. Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program's (FVAP) website at www.FVAP.gov. |
Under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), the right to vote in federal elections can be exercised by U.S. citizens in every corner of the world. Federal elections include primaries, as well as general and special elections for the President, Vice President, U.S. Senators, and U.S. Representatives to Congress. The UOCAVA applies only to federal elections. However, many states have enacted legislation whereby certain categories of citizens residing overseas can vote by absentee ballot for state or local officials. The same procedures for obtaining ballots are used for both local and federal elections.
The process is straightforward. You need to submit a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to the voting officials in the appropriate state in the United States. Once they have received it and confirmed your registration, they will send you an absentee ballot which you will then fill out and return according to the instructions provided along with the ballot itself.
The appropriate state is the state of your "voting residence." A voting residence is the legal residence or domicile in which you could vote if you were present in that state. The rules for determining that state depend on your status overseas.
- Military and Merchant Marine members, and their spouses and dependents, may register to vote in the state that the member claims as his or her residence.
- Civilian U.S. Government employees overseas, and their spouses and dependents, generally register in the state they claim as their legal residence.
- Overseas citizens (not affiliated with the U.S. Government) must vote in their last state of residence immediately prior to departure from the United States. This rule applies even if the voter no longer maintains any abode in that state nor has any intention of returning to it.
- American citizens who have never resided in the United States should apply to the state where their American citizen parent(s) last resided, although they should be aware that not all states will grant such a request. Please refer to the state instructions available in the Voting Assistance Guide (PDF - 2.6MB).
Please go to the following websites for more information: Absentee Voting Information for U.S. Citizens Abroad
Mailing guidance for Panama. Print out the completed FPCA and the (U.S.) postage-paid envelope containing the address of your local election officials. You can drop off the postage-paid envelope (containing your FPCA) at the Embassy and we will mail it back home for you without the need to pay international postage. If it’s easier for you to use Panama's postal system, be sure to affix sufficient international postage and allow sufficient time for international mail delivery.
- International Letter Mail: You may mail your Federal Postcard Application or voted ballot to the United States through the Panamanian mail system, with appropriate international postage. Mail to the U.S. takes approximately ten days.
- Domestic Mail: DPO mail to some destinations in the United States takes approximately 8 days. Voters should submit their ballots to the U.S. Embassy no later than two weeks prior to Election Day (October 23). Ballots must be in a pre-paid postage envelope or the sender should attach first-class U.S. postage (45 cents). Envelopes without postage will be returned to sender. Sealed and stamped envelopes may be taken to the Guard building at the Embassy vehicle entry point at the upper level (called the Service CAC) to be mailed to the US.
Make your vote count! Follow your State’s absentee voting procedures carefully. Send in your FPCA before the registration deadline. When you get your ballot, vote and mail it promptly so it reaches local election officials by your State’s absentee ballot receipt deadline.
Questions? If you have any questions about registering to vote, please contact Panama's Voting Assistance Officer at 507-317-5000.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: New absentee voting laws are in effect for the 2012 elections. You may no longer automatically receive ballots based on a previous absentee ballot request. All U.S. citizens outside the United States who want to vote by absentee ballot in U.S. elections should complete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) every year. States are now required to send out ballots 45 days before an election. No matter what State you vote in, you can now ask your local election officials to provide your blank ballots to you electronically (by email, internet download, or fax, depending on your State). You can now also confirm your registration and ballot delivery online. Be sure to include your email address on the form to take advantage of the electronic ballot delivery option. This is the fastest and most reliable way to receive your ballot on time, and we strongly recommend every voter take advantage of it. Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program's (FVAP) website at www.FVAP.gov.
