If your state requires you to mail in your ballot and you want to avoid the USPS, you have three choices for how to send in your ballot from Israel:
Plan A: Hand-deliver your ballot to either the American Embassy in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv by October 2 from where it will be delivered to your LEO via diplomatic pouch (assuming you are able to get there subject to lockdown rules).
Plan B: Send your ballot via local delivery service to the American Embassy in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv by October 2where it will then be delivered to your LEO via diplomatic pouch.
* RECOMMENDED Plan C: Send your ballot directly to your Local Election Office (LEO) via international document delivery by October 2.
Important announcement from the American Embassy for mail-in ballots
“Where mail-in ballots are the only option, please consider using a courier service to send your ballot directly to your home state to be counted. If you live far from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, you may also mail ballots via Israel Post or private courier to the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem or the Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv. Please consider this only as a last resort, as it will add steps to the process and slow it down. We will then mail your ballots for you to the United States to be delivered to your district office via Diplomatic Pouch. Please note that if you chose to mail your ballots via the U.S. Embassy or the Embassy Branch Office, we cannot guarantee that your ballot will reach your home state in time to be counted. “
Whichever plan you choose, we highly recommend sending in your ballot as soon as possible
To send in your ballot by mail, follow the steps below.
Instructions for mailing in your ballot from Israel
The states that require mailed-in ballots are:
AR, CT, GA, IL, KY, MD, MI, MN, NH, NJ*, NY, OH, PA, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT*, WI
NJ* - email and follow up with hard copy by mail; VT* - you can email if there is no postal service in your country
You have three choices for how to send in your ballot from Israel:
Plan A: Hand-deliver your ballot to either the American Embassy in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv by October 2 from where it will be delivered to your LEO via diplomatic pouch (assuming you are able to get there subject to lockdown rules).
Plan B: Send your ballot via local delivery service to the American Embassy in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv by October 2where it will then be delivered to your LEO via diplomatic pouch.
Plan C: Send your ballot directly to your Local Election Office (LEO) via international document delivery by October 2.
Whichever plan you choose, we highly recommend
sending in your ballot as soon as possible
To send in your ballot by mail, follow the steps below.
- Print your ballot.
- Vote your ballot.
- Fold your ballot, place inside a regular sized envelope and mark on the outside of the envelope “Ballot materials enclosed”. Do not put any personal identifying marks on this envelope, like your name or address – your ballot is secret]
- Print the voter declaration and any other materials sent to you by your local election official
- Fill out the voter declaration and other materials from the state including signatures and dates where required.
- Choose your method for sending in your ballot.
You have three plans to choose from:
Plan A: Hand-deliver your ballot to either the American Embassy in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv by October 2 from where it will be delivered to your LEO via diplomatic pouch (assuming you are able to get there subject to lockdown rules).
Plan B: Send your ballot via local delivery service to the American Embassy in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv by October 2where it will then be delivered to your LEO via diplomatic pouch.
Plan C: Send your ballot directly to your LEO via international document delivery by October 2.
To download our step-by-step guide for choosing a plan, click here
To fill out a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) go to https://www.votefromabroad.org/fwab/ and follow the instructions.
*IMPORTANT: If you receive your official ballot after submitting your Backup Ballot, you may complete and return your official ballot as well.
It’s okay–only one ballot per person will be counted. If both your Backup Ballot and your official ballot arrive before the deadline, federal law provides that only your official ballot will be counted and your Backup Ballot will be discarded.
52 USC section 20303(d)
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us!!
You can contact DA Chair Heather Stone [email protected] or DA Vice Chair for Getting out the Vote, Bob Golub [email protected]