Please Note the Earlier Deadline for Returning Ballots at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General
If you plan to vote in the November 2020 election it is important to ACT NOW! Don’t wait, return your completed ballot right away! Remember U.S. embassies and consulates are not polling places; same-day, in-person voting is not available outside the United States – but you can get assistance in requesting and returning your absentee ballot. Many states require voted ballots to reach local election officials by the close of polls on Tuesday, November 3.
The Department of State is committed to assisting overseas voters in casting their ballots. For instructions on how to vote from the Netherlands please see our website. For general overseas voting information please see the Department of State’s web site Absentee Voting Information for U.S. Citizens Abroad or FVAP.gov.
Never received your ballot? If you registered to vote and requested an absentee ballot prior to your state’s registration deadline, but have not yet received your ballot, complete and return a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot to ensure your vote reaches election officials by your state’s deadline. If your regular ballot arrives later, complete and return it as well. Your Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot will only be counted if your regular ballot does not reach local election officials by your state’s deadline. Your vote will not be counted twice.
RETURNING YOUR BALLOT:
Note that the U.S. Postal Service recommends voters mail their completed ballots before Election Day and at least one week prior to your state’s deadline. To allow processing time between Department of State and U.S. Postal Service systems this means ballots must be received in the U.S. Embassy in the Hague or the U.S. Consulate General in Amsterdam no later than October 15, 2020. Ballots received after that date will be forwarded but may arrive too late to be counted. Please also check the regulations in the state in which you vote as deadlines may differ, and you may have alternative options such as voting by email or by fax.
The above timeline is based on current local and U.S. conditions, which are subject to change. Should conditions change and impact the timeline we will alert you. We strongly recommend you submit your ballot as far in advance as possible.
If your state requires you to return paper voting forms or ballots to local election officials by mail, you can do so through international mail, professional courier service, or through the U.S. Mission in The Netherlands’ diplomatic pouch.
The diplomatic pouch provides free mail service from embassies and consulates to a U.S. sorting facility. You will need to place your ballots in postage paid envelopes or in envelopes bearing sufficient U.S. postage addressed to the relevant local election officials, for them to be delivered to the proper local election authorities. If you want to use the diplomatic pouch, drop your ballot in the ballot box at either the U.S. Consulate General in Amsterdam, 19 Museumplein, Amsterdam, or at the U.S. Embassy in The Hague, John Adams Park 1, Wassenaar. Only sealed and postage-paid ballots can be mailed. Please note that delivery times vary, but it takes approximately 2 weeks for mail to reach its destination if sent via diplomatic pouch.
Missed the U.S. Embassy the Hague or Consulate General Amsterdam shipment deadline? Consider returning your ballot to the United States via a commercial express courier service such as FedEx, UPS, or DHL or return your voted ballot electronically if your state allows. 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 3 prior to payment and shipment. Check your state’s voting procedures at www.FVAP.gov for guidance.
Returning your Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot by email or fax. Review your state’s voting procedures at www.FVAP.gov carefully for guidance.
Returning your ballot by international mail delivery. If using the Netherlands’s postal system, be sure to affix sufficient international postage, and allow sufficient time for international mail delivery. Ballots sent via regular international mail from most countries at this late date are unlikely to reach local election officials by state ballot receipt deadlines, so you may need to consider another method.
HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT OVERSEAS VOTING. Please help spread the word to your friends, family, and colleagues that now is the time to start thinking about overseas voting. Consider posting to your Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or other social media account that you are an active voter and will be dropping off or mailing your Federal Post Card Application or completed ballot. Use #ProudOverseasVoter to help get the word out about voting.
Need help? You can obtain assistance from our U.S. Consulate General Amsterdam Voting Assistance team by contacting us via email at voteAmsterdam@state.gov. We will respond to your email within 1-2 business days and if needed we can arrange a telephone call to assist those with more complex inquires. You can drop your completed, signed, and sealed ballot in the ballot boxes at either the U.S. Embassy in the Hague and the U.S. Consulate General in Amsterdam. The ballots are removed daily for immediate transfer to the diplomatic pouch.
Have Questions? Please contact Amsterdam’s Voting Assistance Officer at voteAmsterdam@state.gov. You can also contact the Federal Voting Assistance Program directly if you encounter issues with local election officials by emailing Vote@FVAP.gov or toll free by phone from many countries around the world.
Confirm your registration and ballot delivery online. Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s (FVAP) website at www.FVAP.gov.
