Time to register to vote in 2024 presidential election
The 2024 presidential election will take place in November. If you are an American citizen currently living in Jamaica and want to vote in the 2024 presidential election, now is the time to register and request your absentee ballot.
Q. Can I vote in person at the US Embassy or at the US Consular Agency on election day?
No. Neither the US Embassy nor the US Consular Agency are polling places. You must register to vote and request an absentee ballot to vote from Jamaica through the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), the official US Government website for overseas voters. You can easily access FPAV at
fvap.gov.
Q. How do I register for an absentee ballot?
Visit
fvap.gov for information on registering absentee for US elections, as well as for details of upcoming elections, registration dates, deadlines and to request a ballot. Depending on which state you are eligible to vote in, you might receive your ballot by e-mail, fax, or Internet download.
Some states require absentee voters to register annually so you may need to re-register each year. Go to
fvap.gov to check your state’s requirements.
Q. When will I get my ballot?
States are required to send out ballots 45 days before a regular election for federal office. If you request a ballot by e-mail, then the ballot should arrive right away. Mailed ballots will take longer to arrive. We recommend you request your ballot as early as possible.
Q. How do I send in my ballot?
Some states allow you to return your completed ballot electronically, and deadlines vary. If you are voting in Florida or New York, ballots must be postmarked by November 5 for the presidential election. In that case, you should mail your ballot no later than October 5 as it could take up to four weeks for the ballot to be received at the voting office in the United States.
You can send your voter registration, absentee ballot request, and ballot through international mail, professional courier service, or by dropping it off at the US Embassy in Kingston or the US Consular Agency in Montego Bay or George Town, Cayman Islands.
In order to have us mail it for you, the envelope must be that provided by your state’s voter registrar or the generic version that you can print from the fvap
.govwebsite. The fvap.gov generic envelope version has an indication that no postage is required in the top right hand corner.
The US Embassy applicant entrance at 142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6, is accessible between 7:15 am and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday, except US and Jamaican holidays.
The US Consular Agency Montego Bay at Whitter Village, Suite EU1, Rose Hall, St James, is accessible between 9:00 am and noon, Monday to Friday, except US and Jamaican holidays.
Q. I did not receive my absentee ballot in time for the general election can I still vote?
Yes. Both the US Embassy and the US Consular Agency have official back up ballots that can be used to vote for federal offices. For both Florida and New York, you must be registered to vote and have already requested an absentee ballot in order to use the official back up ballots. You may contact American Citizen Services in early October if you have not received your absentee ballot and would like to request voting by official back up ballot.
You can find more information about American Citizen Services on our website, https://jm.usembassy.gov/ and more information on voting in the 2024 election on our Facebook Live chat on February 21, 2024 /Keep on top of Embassy news on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/USEmbassyJamaica/ and by following @USEmbassyJA on X.
