U.S. Citizen Services

Voter Registration

Please Note: You cannot Vote at the Embassy

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) guarantees United States citizens overseas the right to vote in federal elections in the United States. (Federal elections include primaries, general and special elections for the President, Vice President, U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives to Congress.) The UOCAVA applies only to federal elections. However, many states in the United States have enacted legislation whereby certain categories of citizens residing overseas can vote by absentee ballot for state or local officials. The same procedures for obtaining local election ballots are used for obtaining federal election ballots.

In order to vote in either federal or state elections in the United States, most states require citizens residing abroad to register in the state of his or her "voting residence." A voting residence is the legal residence or domicile in which the voter could vote if present in that state. Military and Merchant Marine members, their spouses and dependents, may register to vote in the domicile (state) that the member claims as his or her residence. Civilian U.S. government employees overseas, their spouses and dependents, will generally register in the state they claim as their legal residence. In accordance with the UOCAVA, overseas citizens (not affiliated to the US government), must vote in their last state of residence immediately prior to departure from the United States. This applies even if many years have elapsed and the voter maintains no abode nor has any intention of returning to that State.

How to Vote

Applying for the ballot: The Embassy does not supply voting ballots. You cannot vote at the Embassy. You must request your absentee ballot using a form known as the FPCA – Federal Post Card Application. The instructions for completing the form in accordance with your state's requirements are available in the Voting Assistance Guide. Information from the Guide, including state-by-state instructions for requesting absentee ballots and voting and the on-line version of the FPCA are avaialble at http://www.fvap.gov/. American Samoa, Guam and Ohio do not accept the on-line version of the FPCA.

Note:

Visit the US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs or the Federal Voting Assistance Program website for more information.  

VA’A NGAUE KI HE KAKAI SITISENI ‘AMELIKA

Lesisita ke kau ki he fili

Kataki ‘o fakatokanga’i:  ‘Oku ‘ikai ke lava ke fai ho’o fili ‘i he ‘Ofisi Faka-‘Amipasitoá

Koe lao koe Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) ‘oku ne ‘oange ‘a e totonu ki he kakai sitiseni ‘Amelika ‘oku nau ‘i ha fonua muli ke nau fili ‘ihe ngaahi fili fetalolo pe fakafonua ‘a ‘Ameliká. (Koe ngaahi fili fetalolo pe fili fakafonuá ‘oku kau ai ‘a e fili ‘o e kau kanititeiti ‘a e ngaahi paati fakapolitikalé, ngaahi fili fakafonua pe fili makehe ‘o e Palesiteni, Tokoni Palesiteni, kau Senatoa ki he Senate pea moe kau fakafofonga ki he Congress ‘a ‘Ameliká.)  ‘A ia koe lao UOCAVA ‘oku fakataumu’a pe ia ki he ngaahi fili fakafonuá.  Kaikehe, ‘oku ‘I ai ‘a e ngaahi vahe fonua lahi ‘I ‘amelika kuo nau fa’u ha ngaahi lao ‘e lava ai ‘ae kakai sitiseni ‘oku nau nofo muli ke nau lava ‘o fili, neongo ‘enau mama’o, ‘i he ngaahi fili fakavahe fonuá  pe fakakoló.

Koe’uhi ke ke lava ‘o fili ‘i he ngaahi fili fakafonua pe fakavahe fonua ‘i ‘Ameliká, ‘oku fa’a fiema’u ai ‘ehe ngaahi vahefonua takitaha ‘i ‘Amelika ke lēsisita ‘e he tokotaha kotoa pe ‘a e “feitu’u fili”, ke fili mei ai.  Koe feitu’u fili koe feitu’u ia ‘e lau fakalao koe nofo’anga ia ‘o e tokotaha filí,’a ia ‘e lava ke fai ai ‘ene fili kapau ‘oku ‘i he vahefonua koiá.  Ko kinautolu ‘i he ngaahi va’a fakakautaú pe ‘i he ngaahi vaka folau tahí, mo honau ngaahi hoa moe fānau, ‘e lava ke nau lesisita pe he feitu’u ‘oku nau pehē ‘oku nau nofo aí.  Fakatatau ki he UOCAVA, koe kakai sitiseni ‘i mulí (‘oku ‘ikai ke ‘i ai ha nau kaunga ki he pule’angá), kuo pau ke nau fili ‘i he vahefonua ne nau nofo fakamuimui ai kimu’a pea nau toki mavahe mei ‘Ameliká.  Koe tu’utu’uni koeni ‘a e laó kuo pau ke fai pau kiai neongo ha ‘osi ha ngaahi ta’u lahi e mavahe ‘a ha taha  mei ‘Amelika pea ‘ikai ke toe ‘iai ha feitu’u pau ‘e nofo ai ‘i ‘Amelika lolotonga ‘ene mavahé.

Founga ‘oe fili

Koe tohi kole ki he pepa fili:  ‘Oku ‘ikai ke ‘oatu ‘e he ‘Ofisi Faka-‘Amipasitoa ia ‘a e pepa fili.  ‘E ‘ikai lava ke fai ho’o fili ‘ihe ‘Ofisi Faka-‘Amipasitoa.  Kuo pau ke ke kole ho’o pepa fili absentee ‘aki ha’o fakafonu ‘a e foomu ‘oku ‘iloa koe FPCA – Federal Post Card Application.  Koe ngaahi fakhinohino ki he fakafonu ‘o e foomu fakatatau ki he ngaahi tu’utu’uni ‘a e vahefonua ‘oku ke  nofo ai ‘e lava ke ma’u ia mei he  Voting Assistance Guide.  Koe ngaahi fakamatala  ‘i he Guide, kau ai ‘a e ngaahi fakahinohino ki he vahefonua takitaha fekau’aki moe fili absentee moe FPCA ‘e ma’u ia mei he ‘initaneti he http://www.fvap.gov/.  Ko Ha’amoa ‘Amelika, Guam mo e vahefonua Ohio ‘oku ‘ikai ke nau tali ‘a e FPCA mei he ‘initanetí.

Fakatokanga’i:

Fakafonu ‘a e FPCA pea li  ki he tu’asila ‘oku ‘asi he fakahinohino ki he fili ‘ae vahefonua takitaha.  ‘Oua ‘e li meili ki he ‘Ofisi Faka-‘Amipasitoa – ‘e lava heni ke tuai ai hono ma’u ho’o pepa fili.

Kapau ‘oku lī meili mai he positi ‘ofisi Tonga, fakapipiki ha sitapa ‘i he FPCA.

Fai ho’o kole keke fili kimu’a he taimi fili – ‘i ha ‘aho ‘e 45 kimu’a he ‘aho fili.
‘Oku ‘ikai ke ‘iai ha feitu’u fai’anga fili ia ‘i he ‘Ofisi Faka-‘Amipasitoa.
Vakai ki he ngaahi fakamatala ‘i he ‘initaneti ‘a e Potungaue ki Muli he Bureau of Consular Affairs pe koe Federal Voting Assistance Program.