Shanghai, China - Consulate General of the United States

The Military and Overseas Voters Empowerment (MOVE) Act makes absentee voting for Americans living overseas considerably easier.  The law gives U.S. citizens overseas the ability to request and receive absentee ballots electronically.  For more information on the MOVE Act, please see this MOVE Act information page.

In order to vote absentee, U.S. citizens living outside the United States must be:

a)    registered to vote

b)    must request an absentee ballot

You can accomplish both tasks by completing a Federally-issued combination voter registration application and absentee ballot request form known as the Federal Post Card Application (FCPA). This form, along with key state-by-state instructions, is available on the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at www.fvap.gov .  The U.S. Consulate General Shanghai also has copies of these forms and we can assist you in filling out a FPCA and ensuring its safe delivery to the United States.  

All voters who want to take advantage of this option should send in a new FPCA with your email and/or complete fax number clearly written out.  U.S. citizens who have changed their names, addresses, or email addresses, or who are infrequent voters, should also submit a new FPCA.  Be sure to follow your State’s instructions carefully when completing the form and sending it to local election officials in the United States. 

In order to complete the FPCA, you must also have successfully identified the address of your relevant County Clerk to include in the content of your FPCA and must clearly and legibly address your FPCA to your relevant County Clerk. Please also be sure to include your Chinese return address on your FPCA envelop.  You can find your County Clerk’s address by going to www.fvap.gov  selecting your state and then your county.  

In addition, every voter should be aware that you can use the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) as a back-up emergency ballot.  Like the FPCA, the FWAB and instructions for its use are available on the www.fvap.gov website or from the U.S. Consulate General Shanghai.

Please note:  You cannot vote in person at the U.S. Consulate General Shanghai. The only option to vote from China is via an absentee ballot.

You must request your absentee ballot by your individual state's voting deadline, or 30 days before the election, whichever is later.  Absentee ballots for state and local elections can only be requested directly from your state or local authorities.

On State Selection

You must select the state you wish to vote in and have an address that you can use in that state for voter registration purposes. The U.S. Consulate does not advise individuals on which state to vote in, as it is a personal choice. Typically, Americans living overseas register to vote in the state that they last resided in before moving overseas. If you wish to vote in a separate state to which you pay taxes, the best course of action is to consult a tax accountant to understand the implications of your decision.

Posting Your Ballot or FPCA

FPCAs and ballots can be posted with postage free envelops available on www.fvap.gov . If you elect to use one of these envelops, they must be posted from the United States or a U.S. Consulate or Embassy abroad. Alternatively, you can elect to personally cover the postage costs for your FPCA or ballot and send it through the Chinese postal system.

If you wish to pursue the postage free option, you can drop off your addressed FPCA forms and ballots at the American Citizen Services Office from Monday-Friday between the hours of 08:30 and 11:30 am.  Please bring your passport for identification and inform the guards you are dropping off a ballot. You do not need to wait in line.  

Before planning a trip to the U.S. Consulate General Shanghai please check to ensure we are open on the day you intend to come. Our office is closed on all U.S. federal holidays and many Chinese local holidays and is also periodically closed to the public for administrative reasons.   You can find a complete closure schedule here.  

The American Citizen Services Section of the U.S. Consulate General Shanghai is located on the 8^th floor of the Westgate Mall (Mei Long Zhen Guangchang) on 1038 West Nanjing Road. The address in Chinese is: 南京西路1038号, 8楼.

Please note, it typically takes 2-3 weeks for a ballot or FPCA to transit from Shanghai to the United States and you should factor this into your planning.

You can also view our past newsletters and the Voting News section on the right side of this page for information on upcoming elections and registration deadlines.

If you have any additional questions, please email VoteShanghai@state.gov.