After receiving you're ballot on or after September 21st, you're ready to fill it out and send it to the U.S. from Portugal.

But how? Email? Fax? Snail Mail?

Not all states allow for ballots to be returned via electronic transmission. Check the map below or consult the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s Voting Assistance Guide (VAG) to see transmission options for your state. If your state requires you to return paper voting forms or ballots to local election officials by mail, then you can do so through international mail or courier service. Continue scrolling for additional mailing options as well as how to fax even if you don't have a fax machine.

How to Fax:
We recommend using an "email-to-fax-service" if you don't have access to a fax machine. (Note: As of October 30, The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) free email-to-fax-service is no longer a viable option. You can email your election materials to [email protected] and FVAP will fax your election materials for you. They advise that you use the cover sheet found at this link: Fax Cover Sheet.)

There are also many commercial services available, such as SnapFax, WiseFax, MonFax, etc. You can also Google "email to fax solutions" for more options.

Note: If your state allows your ballot to be emailed, DO NOT USE [email protected].  Instead, email your ballot directly to your election official.  Email addresses for your election official can be found at USA.gov.

How to Send by Postal Mail:

Local Post
You may use local post to mail your ballot back to the United States. Be sure to affix appropriate international postage. Due to the current delays the mailing process may be slower, therefore mail your ballot as early as possible to allow for sufficient mailing time.

Note: Portugal has over 1,000 CTT post offices, with opening hours varying by location. In main cities and tourist areas, post offices are usually open weekdays from 8:30 AM–6 PM, and Saturday mornings until 12:30 PM. Some post offices may be closed for lunch.

Courier (FedEx, DHL, etc.)
Call your local election office in the United States to check out the best address, and then check out courier solutions. The cheapest we've found so far is DHL's Service Point. There are many other courier solutions available as well (this is not a recommendation or advertisement).

Still have questions? We suggest you go to Vote From Abroad's FAQs page.

Need more help? Send us an email at [email protected] or [email protected]. You can also attend one of our upcoming Ballot Return Events.