Voting Abroad: Absentee Voting for Overseas Citizens

If you’re a citizen who has never resided in the US, you can check this list of states to see if you’re eligible to vote using a parent, legal guardian, spouse, or other family member’s former address to vote absentee. 

Once you’ve successfully completed the FPCA, there’s no need to request an absentee ballot. The Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE) requires states to automatically send absentee ballots to UOCAVA voters no later than 45 days before federal elections.  

After receiving your ballot, vote and send it back as soon as possible to be sure it arrives on time.  Follow the instructions on your ballot for guidance on how to return your ballot and the options available to you. Check with your local election authority to see if it will accept electronic ballot returns. Thirty-one states, DC, and the Virgin Islands allow military and overseas voters to easily return their absentee ballots electronically. For more guidance on voting in a specific state, check out FVAP’s interactive map. 

If there is not enough time before the election to send back your ballot for federal elections, you can use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) as a backup ballot. To vote with FWAB, fill out the ballot, print and sign it, then send it to the election authority for your voting residence. 

Living abroad doesn’t mean sacrificing your voting rights. For more instructions on how to vote absentee from abroad, watch this video tutorial. Be sure to check with your voting residence’s local election authority to be sure of any additional requirements. You can also check out VOTE411.org for ballot information in all 50 states and DC. 

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