Voter REsource Center

More than six million Americans live abroad.  This number is larger than the populations of 24 states in the Union and your vote counts! We have listed below important voter information, deadlines and steps to take to ensure you are registered in your home state or territory. 

Step One: Go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program website found here. Select your category, Citizen Living Outside the U.S. which will take you to a US Map to select the state of your last residence.

Step Two: Once you have clicked on your state, you will be asked "What Would You Like To Do?" offering you several options. Depending on your selection, you will be directed to another page giving you options for registering online, by mail or at your US Consulate. Registration to vote is referred to as a Federal Post Card Application. They also post registration deadlines for your state and federal voting.
http://www.fvap.gov/vao/stregissites.html

Step Three: Complete the instructions according to the directions on the webpage for your selected mode of registration and you are registered!
http://usembassy.state.gov 

Once you have registered to vote, it is important to make sure your absentee vote is counted. Listed below are several things you can do to make sure your vote is good.

1. Allow plenty of time to request, receive, and return your ballot.
2. Notify your U.S. local election official each time your mailing address changes.
Become familiar with your stateÕs absentee voting laws, procedures, and deadlines to make sure your ballot is properly executed and will be counted.

Common Questions

Must I submit a separate application for each election?
A citizen does not need to submit a separate application for each election since the States and territories accept the Federal Post Card Application as a request for all Federal office elections for the calendar year in which it was submitted. To ensure that you receive absentee ballots for all elections in which you are eligible to vote, we recommend that you submit a new Federal Post Card Application in January of each year and whenever you have a new mailing address. If you are requesting an absentee ballot for a specific election, note in Block 6 the election for which you are requesting the ballot, i.e., "Primary (or Special, or General) election only."

When should I receive my ballot?
Most states and territories begin mailing ballots 30-45 days before an election. If you have not received your ballot two weeks before the election, contact your local election official (contact information available on mostÊstate election sites. Always complete and return your absentee ballot regardless of when you receive it, even if you have already submitted a back-up Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (explanation below). Your local election official will ensure that only one of the ballots is counted.

What happens if I do not receive a ballot from my local election office?
If you requested an absentee ballot but have not received one close to election day, you can still vote by using the back-up Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB).
In order to be eligible to use this back-up ballot, you must:

• Be absent from your voting residence;
• Have applied for a regular ballot early enough so the request is received by the appropriate local election official not later than the State deadline; or the date that is 30 days before the general election; AND
• Have not received the requested regular absentee ballot from the State.

Where can I get a back-up Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot?
Hardcopies of the back-up Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) are available through Voting Assistance Officers at military installations or at U.S. embassies/consulates.

An online version is also available at http://www.fvap.gov/resources/media/fwab.pdf which must be completed, printed, signed, dated, and mailed to your local election official. Check out your state's instructions to determine your state specific instructions, witness requirements for voted ballots, deadlines, and mailing addresses.

If I do not maintain a legal residence in the U.S., what is my "legal state of residence"?
Your "legal state of residence" for voting purposes is the state or territory where you last resided immediately prior to your departure from the United States. This applies to overseas citizens even though you may not have property or other ties in your last state of residence and your intent to return to that state may be uncertain.

Some states allow children of U.S. citizens residing overseas who are U.S. citizens but who have never resided in the U.S., to claim one of their parent's legal state of residence as their own.

Can I register or vote in-person at the embassy or consulate?
There are no provisions for in-person voting or on-site registration at U.S. embassies or consulates. U.S. embassy and consular officials can assist U.S. citizens in completing the Voter Registration/Absentee Ballot Request form or other election materials for their state, witness election materials (if required), and provide other absentee voting information. You may mail election materials from U.S. embassies and consulates. Remember to make sure that all election material is postmarked.

*Information courtesy of the Federal Voting Assistance Program

For further information, please visit The Federal Voter Assistance Web Site at: www.fvap.gov.  Here you will find up to date information to include changes in current laws, voter registration deadlines and important forms to complete to ensure your absentee vote is counted!