Message for U.S. Citizens – U.S. Embassy Chisinau, Moldova (July 2, 2020)
Location: Republic of Moldova
Event: Message for U.S. Citizens
We would like to wish you a happy and safe July 4. The Consular Section has updates and information about voting to share with all U.S. Citizens in Moldova.
The U.S. Embassy continues to operate at a maximum telework posture due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We are open for emergency American Citizen Services once a week, on Wednesday mornings. Passport printing agencies have started to reopen in the United States. If your U.S. passport is expiring and you have urgent travel or any other emergency need to replace it, please make an appointment on our website.
You can now reach us at our dedicated email address for American Citizen Services at ChisinauACS@state.gov. If you have questions or are aware of an emergency involving a U.S. citizen, please contact us by email or at +373 022 40 8300. We will eventually phase out our old email address, so please update your contacts.
July 4th Voting Message:
Celebrate democracy this 4th of July by taking the necessary steps to vote in the 2020 U.S. elections!
In order to vote in the November 2020 elections, all overseas U.S. citizens need to have completed a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) in 2020. Whether you are a first-time voter or have already received ballots and voted absentee in past elections, you must complete a new FPCA or the state specific request for a ballot each year to participate in elections as an overseas absentee voter.
Check to see what your state’s requirements are for submitting your absentee ballot. Each state has its own deadlines and requirements. Some states require paper ballots, while others will allow you to receive and return your ballot by email or online.
If you would like to drop off your completed Federal Post Card Application or your ballot for delivery to the United States via diplomatic pouch free of charge, the U.S. Embassy will gladly accept them. You must apply regular U.S. postage to the envelope if it is required, as it will be dropped into regular U.S. mail once it arrives in the United States. This service can take several weeks, so plan ahead.
Due to the current pandemic, the Consular Section is operating at a limited capacity and can provide emergency services only. However, we recognize that voting is an essential part of being an American citizen. If you need to submit your application or your ballot by mail, please email us at ChisinauACS@state.gov to make arrangements to drop them off.
For more information about voting overseas, please read the following:
Registering to Vote and submitting a ballot is fast, easy, and can be done from anywhere in the world!
Follow a few simple steps to vote in the 2020 U.S. elections:
1. Register to vote: Start by confirming your voter registration with your state. Go to FVAP.gov to connect to your state’s voter portal to register to vote, request a ballot, and more.
2. Request Your Ballot: Most states provide the option to request ballots through their state election portals, which you can easily access via FVAP.gov. You can also choose to complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). The completion of the FPCA allows you to request absentee ballots for all elections for federal offices (President, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives), including primaries and special elections, during the calendar year in which it is submitted. FPCA forms that are correctly filled out and include a signature and date are accepted by all local election officials in every U.S. state and territory. FVAP’s easy online assistant can assist you with completing the FPCA.
Whether you request your ballot through your state’s portal or the FPCA, we encourage you to select the option to receive your ballot electronically (by email, internet download, or fax) when available. This is the fastest way to get your ballot and ensures you have it in time to return a completed form before your state’s deadline.
3. Receive and Complete Your Ballot: States are required to send out ballots 45 days before a regular election for federal office, and states generally send out ballots at least 30 days before primary elections. Most states allow you to confirm your ballot delivery online.
4. Return Your Completed, Signed Ballot: Some states allow you to return your completed ballot electronically. 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 U.S. mail via the U.S. Embassy. You will need to place your ballots in postage paid return envelopes or provide sufficient U.S. postage on the envelope in order for them to be delivered to state authorities.
Check your state’s voting information website to see when absentee ballots are due. Ballots will be received, stamped with the date, and forwarded whenever submitted but you may want to consider using a courier service if submitting your ballot close to or after the stated delivery time for pouch mail.
5. What happens if a voter does not receive an Absentee Ballot? Any registered U.S. citizen voter who requests an absentee ballot by their state’s deadline but has not received it at least 30 days before the election, can vote via returned Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). The FWAB is an emergency backup ballot that can be completed using an online assistant and/or via a PDF at: https://www.fvap.gov/uploads/FVAP/Forms/fwab2013.pdf. Expatriate U.S. citizens without internet access can obtain and submit their FWAB in post’s consular section by appointment.
Researching the Candidates and Issues: Online Resources. Go to the FVAP links page for helpful resources to aid your research of candidates and issues. Non-partisan information about candidates, their voting records, and their positions on issues are widely available and easy to obtain online. You can also read national and hometown newspapers online or search the internet to locate articles and information. For information about 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).
Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s (FVAP) website, FVAP.gov. If you have any questions about registering to vote overseas, please contact U.S. Embassy Chisinau’s Voting Assistance Officer at +373 022 40 8300 or at VoteChisinau@state.gov .
Remember, your vote counts! Happy 4th of July!!
Assistance:
- U.S. Embassy Chisinau, Moldova
+373 2240 8300
ChisinauACS@state.gov
https://md.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/ - State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444 - Moldova Country Specific Information
- Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts.
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