Voting Overseas

As a US citizen, you should be eligible to vote from abroad. Most overseas voters vote from the address at which they last lived in the US, even if you do not have any current ties there.

For more information about study abroad, please scroll to the bottom of this guide.

If you are a US citizen but have never resided in the US, you may still be eligible to vote absentee. Check here.

Request your ballot as early as possible!! Do as much electronically as possible!!

Click here to find state-specific information and an absentee guide overview for Overseas Citizen Voters. 

JumboVote’s Recommended Steps to Voting while Abroad

1. Fill out and send in your Federal Post Card Application (serves as both your ballot request and voter registration)

   1. Confirm with your local election official that it has been received

2. Consider submitting a back-up ballot if you are worried about deadlines. You can still complete/submit your official ballot as well.

3. Find out how to submit your ballot at www.fvap.gov/covid-19. JV recommends doing as much online as possible. Confirm that it has been received. 

4. If you are studying abroad, remember to update your address when you return.

Registration and/or Requesting your Ballot (FPCA)

Fill out the Federal Post Card Application. Confirm with your local election official that it has been received.

It’s recommended to send in an FPCA at least 90 days before the election in which you want to vote—meaning by August 1 for November General Elections. This serves as both your registration and ballot request form. It’s good practice to do this at the start of each calendar year and each time you move. 

Filling out your FPCA:

• If you don’t have a social security number or a state-issued ID, in Section 6 of the form (under “Additional Information”), write that you do not have a social security number or state-issued ID.

• If you need help filling out your FPCA, contact the voting assistance officer at the nearest US embassy or consulate.

Once you have submitted a complete FPCA, your eligibility will be confirmed and your local election official will send you a blank absentee ballot electronically or by mail.

Federal law requires election offices to send requested ballots to overseas voters at least 45 days before November general elections (Sept 24th). For most other elections, ballots will be mailed out 30 days prior. If you requested by email, it should arrive right away. If you have sent your ballot request but don’t hear from your local election official, you can always reach out to them directly.

Emergency Back-up Ballot (FWAB)

You can VOTE NOW using a backup ballot (also known as the Federal Write in Absentee Ballot or FWAB)—use this especially if there’s a possibility your official ballot won’t get to you in time to return by the deadline. Follow the steps here. For information on determining the candidates and measures on your ballot, proceed to the “Filling Out Your Ballot” section.

When finished, print out your completed FWAB and other documents. For information on return, proceed to the “Submitting Your Election Materials” section.

You may complete and submit your official ballot as well if it arrives after submitting your FWAB. If both your FWAB and FPCA arrive before the deadline, only your official ballot will be counted.

Filling Out Your Ballot

All states are required by federal law to make ballots available to overseas voters electronically. You can also use a sample ballot lookup.

The recommended deadline to submit your ballot is Oct 13, regardless, you should fill out and submit your ballot as soon as you receive it.

Submitting Your Election Materials

JV recommends doing as much electronically as possible. Each state has different requirements for the methods by which election materials can be submitted.

Submitting the FPCA: 

• By mail only:  Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Vermont,

• Mail, Fax, and email: all other states ( *exceptions listed)

  • *California and Wisconsin: to register, must mail or fax the FPCA. if already registered can use any method

  • *Idaho, Florida, Maryland, and South Dakota: If registering, must mail the FPCA, otherwise can use any method

  • *New York: If you email or fax FPCA, you must also mail it

  • *Texas: If you fax the FPCA, a mailed hardcopy must be received by the fourth business day after the fax

Submitting your voted ballot/FWAB

Find out how you can submit your ballot or FWAB here!

Sending your ballot electronically is different from “electronic voting.” Your vote is not submitted with a computer system but rather merely returned electronically. You will retain a copy of your marked ballot (as a paper trail).

Most states require overseas voters to return their ballots by mail. Send this well before Election Day!! Mail your ballot back as soon as you receive it. The FVAP has a list of recommended mailing dates for your completed ballot but ideally mail it back ASAP.

Emailing

If your state allows you to email your ballot, use the Transmission Cover Sheet to protect privacy and email all documents directly to your local election official. Do NOT email to FVAP.

Faxing

If you need to fax your ballot but don’t have access to a fax machine, the FVAP offers a free email-to-fax service. Still follow the practice of submitting your voted ballot as soon as you receive it as this service can get overloaded and does not guarantee your ballot will be submitted in time.

• Email your ballot and any other documents to fax@fvap.gov using the Transmission Cover Sheet. They will then fax your election materials to your local election official.

• If you use this service, the FVAP recommends that you contact your election official directly to verify whether your information was received.

You can also search for apps that will convert an email attachment to a fax.

If you are unable to fax your election materials directly to your local election official, you can use the FVAP Transmission Cover Sheet and fax to (703) 693-5527.

Mailing

1. Use any envelope to mail your form.

2. Determine which mailing method you will use. Check “International Mail Services Suspensions”

   1. Local mail: for if you have reliable mail service to the US. Use appropriate international postage.*

   2. US Embassy Diplomatic Pouch: drop off your completed election materials at the nearest US embassy or consulate. It must be addressed to your local election official and have sufficient postage.*

   3. Express Courier Service: for if time is short or local mail unreliable. The use of a commercial postal service will be at your own expense.

*Postage: if you are using US mailing including diplomatic pouches, you can use the postage-paid template. If you are using a foreign or commercial postal service, you must pay for postage. You can find pre-paid postage for return envelopes here.

International Mail Service Suspensions: Due to Covid-19, the Postal Service has temporarily suspended international mail service for certain countries. Check service disruptions here.

Study Abroad

You should still fill out/submit the FPCA to request a ballot while studying abroad even if you are already registered.

You should still fill out/submit the FPCA if you are only studying abroad for one semester. The FPCA covers you for all elections in the calendar year.

When filling out the FPCA, you should use the address of the last place you lived in the US as your “US voting address.” You may use your home address OR your last address on campus. It doesn’t matter whether you have any physical ties to that location or have previously registered there.

Don’t forget to update your address after moving back to the US!

If you have more questions, please visit the FVAP FAQs page or contact the FVAP or your local election official directly.