Embassy of the United States

Public Services

Voting Information

- 2008 Primary and General Elections -

Act now so that your opinion is heard 

Where do I find information about absentee voting?
The official U.S. Government website for overseas absentee voting is the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) website http://www.fvap.gov/

Who can vote absentee?
Generally, all U.S. citizens 18 years or older who are or will be residing outside the United States during an election period are eligible to vote absentee. This includes primary, run-off, and special elections throughout the year, as well as the general election on November 4. Some states allow overseas voters to vote in elections for state and local offices, and for state and local referendums.

In which state should I register?
Voting eligibility and residency requirements are determined state-by-state. They are available at http://fvap.gov/pubs/vag.html. Your " legal state of residence" for voting purposes is the state where you last resided immediately prior to departure from the United States.

What if I have no ties to my last state of residence?
Voting rights extend to overseas citizens even though they may not own property or have other ties to their last state of residence, and even if their intent to return to that state is uncertain.

What if I have never resided in the United States?
Sixteen states allow eligible U.S. citizens to register where a parent would be eligible to vote.

How do I register to vote and/or apply for an absentee ballot?
Use the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). The on-line version, the OFPCA, is accepted by all states and territories except American Samoa and Guam. (Those voters use the standard FPCA.) The OFPCA must be completed legibly, printed, signed, dated, and mailed to your local election officials. Your state may allow faxing to speed the process, but you will still need to send in the original by mail. Use an envelope and affix proper postage. In almost all cases, registrants must have a Social Security number to vote.  For information on how to obtain a number, please see our Federal Benefits pages

When should I apply for an absentee ballot?
In general, you should send in the FPCA so that it reaches your local election officials at least 45 days before the first election in which you are eligible to vote --- ample time for them to process the request and send you a blank ballot. If applying for both registration and an absentee ballot, you may want to mail the FPCA earlier. One FPCA will ensure you receive all ballots for Federal offices for the next two regular Federal elections (through 2010). However, it’s good to submit a new FPCA each January, and whenever you move, to ensure that your most recent mailing and e-mail addresses are on file with local election officials .

When should I expect to receive my absentee ballot?
Normally, states and territories begin sending ballots to overseas citizens 30-45 days before an election. However, if you haven’t received your ballot within three weeks of your state’s ballot receipt deadline, and you are required to return your voted ballot by mail, you should download, complete, sign, date, and send in a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB), available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/onlinefwab.html. Make sure it is witnessed if required by your state. If you subsequently receive your regular absentee ballot, execute it and return it regardless of when you receive it. Court decisions sometimes require late counting of ballots voted by Election Day, but received by local election officials for a specified period of time following Election Day.

Where can I find more information?
http://www.fvap.gov/ has a wealth of information about absentee voting, including state-specific instructions for completing the FPCA form, links to state and local officials, and a downloadable emergency ballot in case you registered in time but failed to receive a ballot.