Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events/Voting from Abroad Information

Our Lady of the Angels celebration, Cartago, August

Don't leave home without your mask and alcohol gel!

At this time, most of the upcoming events we have listed here are at Hacienda Vivace in San Ramon. Contact them to see what is still scheduled.

We are temporarily repurposing our Upcoming Events page to provide the the following notices about voting from abroad as a public service to our community (since there are very few events at this time!). This information is bipartisan. We encourage you to exercise your right to vote.

Deadlines Approaching to apply for overseas ballot - US election

Vote From Abroad is a non-partisan platform that helps US citizens vote from abroad by producing the necessary Federal forms. You will NOT be 'automatically subscribed' to any party affiliation.

Deadlines vary between states - you can look up your states' deadlines thru this page.

EVEN IF YOU ARE REGISTERED, FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES THAT IF VOTING FROM ABROAD, YOU MUST REQUEST YOUR BALLOT EACH ELECTION YEAR.
Register and request a ballot to be sent to you at Vote from Abroad. Be sure to indicate you want to receive your ballot via email.

Below is non-partisan information about voting from abroad.

Click here for further information.

Voting by Mail

Many U.S. citizens living in Costa Rica regard voting as a civic duty, and there seems to be a renewed interest in voting in this year’s election. You don’t have to own property back home to vote. Every U.S. citizen has the right to vote, even if you live in Costa Rica. If you haven’t requested your ballot yet, you can do so by going to either https://www.fvap.gov/fpca-privacy-notice or https://www.votefromabroad.org/. Take your pick.

Most states allow voting electronically or by FAX, however the following 22 states still require voting by mail.
1.            Arkansas
2.            Connecticut
3.            Georgia
4.            Idaho
5.            Illinois
6.            Iowa
7.            Kentucky
8.            Maryland
9.            Michigan
10.          Minnesota
11.          Missouri
12.          New Hampshire
13.          New York
14.          Ohio
15.          Pennsylvania
16.          South Dakota
17.          Tennessee
18.          Texas
19.          Vermont
20.          Virginia
21.          Wisconsin
22.          Wyoming

Even though mail service between the U.S. and Costa Rica is suspended, it is still possible to vote by mail. Due to expected delays and snarls in the US Postal Service, You need to vote as soon as possible!

The Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, or FWAB, is the best way around this. Any voter who believes that his or her ballot will not arrive in time to meet the deadline for ballot submission is entitled to fill out and send in an FWAB. If you haven't already done so, mail your FWAB as soon as possible.

HOW TO FILL OUT YOUR FWAB
•             IF YOU HAVE A PRINTER, fill out an FWAB online, print it out, and sign it. Click on this link – https://www.fvap.gov/fwab-privacy-notice Note: do not fill out this form at a public computer because it will contain personally identifiable information. It is best to fill out the FWAB online because it has three significant advantages: 1) it eliminates problems of legibility that a handwritten form might have, 2) once you select your state, it will indicate if you need to send in a separate ballot request, and 3) it automatically looks up the address of your local election office and fills it in on the envelope.
•             IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PRINTER, have a friend, librería, internet café, or print shop print the form for you. Then fill it out and sign it - click on this link https://www.fvap.gov/uploads/FVAP/Forms/fwab.pdf. To find the address of your local election office, click on https://www.votefromabroad.org/, then click on STATE VOTING GUIDE in the lower right corner, then select your state, then drag down to FIND YOUR ELECTION OFFICE.
•             NOTE: If you have not requested your ballot yet, a few states require you to do this before filling out the FWAB. These states include:
o             Arkansas
o             Connecticut
o             Idaho
o             Illinois
o             New Hampshire
o             New York
o             Pennsylvania
o             South Dakota
o             Texas
o             Wisconsin
o             Wyoming

HOW TO SEND YOUR FWAB

Option 1. Send your FWAB to the U.S. Embassy in San Jose via Correos de Costa Rica. If you live in or near San Jose, you can also use a courier service such as Uber Flash or Glovo. The Correos's EMS Courier service, which is available at most post offices throughout the country and is by far their fastest delivery option, is recommended. The charge per letter is ¢1,800 in the GAM (Greater San José Metropolitan Area) and ¢2,100 for the rest of the country.

Place the envelope inside an outer envelope and address it to:

U.S. Embassy San Jose Costa Rica
Attention: ACS Unit
Frente al Centro Comercial del Oeste
Apartado 920-1200, Pavas
San Jose, Costa Rica

The FWABs will be included in the diplomatic pouch, which is currently going each week to Dulles International Airport near Washington, DC.

NOTE: The postal service equipment could destroy envelopes with taped or stapled postage-paid labels. DO NOT USE STAPLES. If you use tape, please be very careful to make sure there are no jagged edges, and the envelope is wrinkle-free.

Option 2. Deliver your FWAB to the U.S. Embassy in person. Go to the main entrance in the middle of the block (not the one over to the left where you go to get your passport renewed, etc.) To the left of the main entrance is a little office with dark windows. Approach the window and wave your hand. The attendant will ask you what your business is. The hours of service are 8 – 4:30 Monday – Friday.

Option 3. International courier services such as DHL or FedEx. This is your most expensive option, but it will bypass the Correos de Costa Rica, the diplomatic pouch, and the USPS, where there could be delays.

If you vote by mail, send in your FWAB ASAP.