How can U.S. citizens vote abroad?

As the day of the presidential elections in the United States approaches, next Tuesday, November 5, when voters will choose between the Democrat Kamala Harris, the Republican Donald Trump, and other representatives of minor parties, recommendations on how a U.S. citizen can vote while abroad are beginning to be shared.

The United States Embassy in Cuba, in an informational note published on its social media, outlined some of the conditions that must be met to participate in the November election, among which was the registration in their state or territory. To complete the registration, the citizen must mail their application.

They indicate that after learning in which state it should be registered, the citizen must send their Federal Postcard Application to the United States by postal mail.

After that procedure, what follows is to review the information for your State or territory, register, and request an absentee ballot no later than 90 days before the elections. This means you should have been registered by no later than August 5, 2024.

The United States Government website, which details each way to vote in that nation, clarifies that early voting also exists.

For this type of participation, in most states, no justification is required to vote early. In fact, in some states, only an absentee ballot is requested to vote in advance.

The peculiarity of the state of Florida, home to many foreigners, including a large Cuban community, is that documents can be sent by email or fax.

"If you want to vote in the national elections, you must be registered by October 7, 2024, at the latest," notes the U.S. Embassy in Havana.

In 2023, more than 33,000 Cubans became U.S. citizens, according to figures from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which recorded the naturalization ceremonies held in the United States and around the world.

USCIS states that "the decision to become a U.S. citizen is an important milestone in an immigrant's life" and that "candidates for citizenship must demonstrate that they are committed to the unifying principles that bind us together as Americans. In return for that commitment, they will enjoy the fundamental rights and privileges of U.S. citizenship."