If you plan to vote in the U.S. general election on November 3, 2020, it is important to ACT NOW! Don’t wait; return your voted ballot right away! Remember that U.S. embassies and consulates general are not polling places; same-day, in-person voting is not available outside the United States, but you can get assistance in 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 Saudi Arabia please see our website. For general overseas voting information, please see the Department of State’s website 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 by U.S. Embassy Riyadh or Consulates General Jeddah or Dharan no later than October 12, 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 voting options such as electronic voting 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.
U.S. Embassy Riyadh and Consulates General Dhahran and Jeddah can help you mail your vote home! See below for hours and drop-off locations. No appointment is necessary. If you wish to drop off your ballot or have a friend or colleague drop it off for you, place it in either a U.S. postage-paid envelope (provided with the ballot) or an envelope bearing domestic U.S. postage addressed to your local election officials. Please maintain social distancing, wear a mask, and stay home if you are sick.
U.S. Embassy Riyadh: Ballot drop-box is located at the Embassy’s main entrance, Sunday through Thursday from 10:00 to 17:00. Questions? Contact VoteRiyadh@state.gov.
U.S. Consulate Dhahran: Ballot drop-box is located at the Consulate’s visitor security entrance, Sunday through Thursday from 8:30 to 17:00. Please bring your U.S. passport for identification. Questions? Contact VoteDhahran@state.gov.
U.S. Consulate Jeddah: Ballot drop-box is located at the Consulate’s consular entrance, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 to 16:00. Questions? Contact VoteJeddah@state.gov.
Missed U.S. Mission Saudi Arabia’s shipment deadline? While you can still drop off your ballot at the U.S. Embassy or Consulates General, you may wish to consider returning your ballot to the United States via a commercial express courier service such as DHL, SMSA, or UPS or return your voted ballot electronically if allowed by your state. Please confirm your state’s regulations at www.FVAP.gov. 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 Saudi Arabia’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.
Have Questions? Please contact your local Embassy or Consulate at their respective email address: VoteRiyadh@state.gov, VoteDhahran@state.gov, or VoteJeddah@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.
For Assistance Contact:
U.S. Embassy Riyadh
Abdullah Ibn Hudhafah As Sahmi Street Roundabout no. 9
Diplomatic Quarter Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Telephone: (966) (11) 488-3800
Fax: (966) (11) 488-7670
U.S. Consulate General Jeddah
Al Safa Street, Al Muhammadiyah District, near the new American School building.
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Telephone: (966) (12) 220-5000
Fax: (966) (12) 220-5093
U.S. Consulate General Dhahran
Between KFUPM and King Abdulaziz Airbase
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Telephone: (966) (13) 330-3200
Fax: (966) (13) 330-6816
State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444
Saudi Arabia Country Information
Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts.
