Republicans Overseas

ARE YOU AN AMERICAN LIVING OVERSEAS WHO WANTS TO VOTE IN AMERICAN ELECTIONS?

As an overseas American citizen, you have the right to vote in federal elections.

Please note that you should register to vote after January 1 of the year in which you plan to vote.

Federal law requires states to remove overseas voters from their registers EVERY YEAR.

Not all states comply, but to be sure that you receive your ballot, register after January 1 of the year in which the elections will take place.

HOW TO START

You will need the address for your last place of residence in the US. Not sure which address to use? Please click here for advice from FVAP.
Go to the non-partisan website www.fvap.gov run by the US government for military and overseas citizen voters.
Choose your state and follow the instructions.
If you are unsure whether or not you are eligible to vote at a particular address, you can always contact the county election official for your former address. Names and contact details for election officials are given in www.fvap.gov on a state-by-state basis.
Are you an American citizen who is eligible to vote but who has never lived in the US? Click here for information related to your situation.
Please click here for a FAQ on overseas voting from FVAP.

HOW TO GET YOUR BALLOT

Go here: Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)

1. Fill

2. Review

3. Print

4. Sign

5. Send

If you live near an embassy or consulate, you may also request a paper copy of the form there. You'll need all the information listed in the "How to Start" section.

Try to request your ballot before August 1 of Mid-Term and Presidential Election Years to allow sufficient time for your state to mail you your ballot. However, you may register to vote up until your state’s voter registration deadline. You can check here for that deadline and find forms (including postage paid envelopes for US domestic mail only).

Your local election official will contact you if your application is denied or if they need additional information.

Election officials are required to send absentee ballots no later than 45 days before an election. If you submit your FPCA within 45 days of the election, they will send you your ballot as soon as possible.

Vote and return your state absentee ballot following the instructions included with your ballot. Your state may allow you to return your ballot via postal mail, fax, app or online.

WHAT IF I DON'T RECEIVE MY BALLOT?

If you do not receive an absentee ballot in time to return it to your state, you can use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) as a backup ballot to vote for federal offices. If your official absentee ballot arrives after you have mailed the FWAB, then you can fill out and send in the official ballot as well. Your state will count only one.You can download the forms or use the online FWAB assistant at FVAP. If you download and print the form without using the online assistant, please be sure to follow your state’s guidelines. Return your ballot as noted in Step 3.