AMERICAN CITIZEN SERVICES
VOTING ASSISTANCE
The General Election is on November 4, 2008
U.S. law authorizes qualified American citizens residing abroad to register and vote by absentee ballot in the U.S. state where they last resided. The Department of State, through its embassies and consulates abroad, can assist you in preparing to exercise your right to vote. American citizen services officers and staff at U.S. Embassies and consulates can provide information on the voting process and your home state's registration procedures.
Where do I vote?
U.S. citizens do not vote at U.S. embassies and consulates. The electoral process is administered by the different U.S. states and you vote by mailing an absentee ballot to your home state. To apply for voter registration and to request an absentee ballot, American citizens abroad send a form called The Federal Post Card Application to the state where they last resided immediately prior to departing the U.S. The Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) may be obtained from the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at www.fvap.gov. Please be aware of your state's registration deadline.
Some states accept the FPCA in faxed format, or by electronic submission, but they also require you to send in the hard copy by mail. Please consult the state specific instructions on www.fvap.gov to find out if your state allows these practices.
State laws regarding residence and who can register to vote differ. Acceptance or denial of voter registration is up to each state. Depending on your state, you may be registered permanently or temporarily, or allowed to waive registration to apply for an absentee ballot. For more detailed information, please see state specific information from the Federal Voting Assistance Program website.
Your local voting officials should mail your absentee ballot 30 to 45 days before the November 4 general election. Return your voted ballot as early as possible. Be aware of your state's ballot receipt deadline, as well as any postmarking requirements. Please note that eight states require ballots to be postmarked by November 3, the day before the general election. One state, North Carolina, requires that the voted ballot arrive by November 3.
I haven't lived in the U.S. for years - to which state do I send my Federal Postcard Application?
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) allows citizens (not affiliated with the Uniformed Services) outside the United States to vote in the state or territory where they last resided immediately prior to departing the United States. This applies even if many years have elapsed since their departure from the U.S. and the voter remains no residence in the state or territory, and the intent to return to that state or territory is uncertain. Also, an address that you may have maintained in the U.S. for other purposes does not qualify as the state in which you should register to vote in (unless you actually resided at that address.) You must always register to vote in the state or territory where you last resided.
For members of the Uniformed Services and their family members, in most states the legal voting residence is defined as where they have, or have had, physical presence at the location and, simultaneously, the intent to remain or return.
State laws regarding residence and who can register to vote differ. Acceptance or denial of voter registration is up to each state. Depending on your state, you may be registered permanently or temporarily, or allowed to waive registration to apply for an absentee ballot. For more detailed information, please see state specific information from the Federal Voting Assistance Program website.
I've never voted before and I never lived in the U.S. - what do I do?
There are sixteen states in the United States that allow U.S. citizens overseas to vote even if they have never resided in the U.S. If a citizen has never resided in the U.S. but has a parent who is eligible to vote in one these sixteen states, a citizen is eligible to vote at the same voting residence claimed by their parent (certain special provisions may apply, please see state specific information for more details.) The sixteen states consist of Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
If you are not from one of the states allowing such a practice, do not give up. It may be that you have a bank account, property, or membership in an organization in one of the states that does allow registration and absentee voting by such persons. Perhaps you visited one of the states allowing such registration and earned income there or obtained a driver's license there, or developed some other tie to that state. You should provide as much pertinent information as possible as an attachment to the Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) when you send it in. The final decision will be up to the local election official.
Federal Write-In Ballot - FWAB
If you make a timely application for an absentee ballot for a general federal election but do not receive the ballot from your state in time, you may use the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB). This emergency Write-in Ballot is available on-line. You must register to vote and request an absentee ballot by your state's deadline - usually 30 days before the election - to be eligible to use the FWAB. We strongly recommend that voters who have not received their ballot by October 15 complete and return the FWAB to ensure your vote is received in time to be counted. Please note that the FWAB is only valid for use in voting for candidates to federal, not state or local, office.
Other voting services:
• You will find answers to the most frequently asked questions here.
• You will find a chart with all of the state postmark and ballot receipt deadlines here.
• The Embassy also posts notices of upcoming elections, provides notarization (when required) of ballot materials, and performs similar voting-related duties. Be sure to include your email address when registering with the U.S. Embassy online so the Embassy may send you the latest voting information. To register, please click here.
• Overseas citizens groups help Americans abroad to vote by absentee ballot. We encourage you to contact Democrats Abroad, Republicans Abroad or other American citizens groups or organizations for information, or if you need help in registering to vote or requesting an absentee ballot. Useful links to election and voting information from government agencies, political organizations, and non-governmental organizations can be found at http://www.fvap.gov/reference/links/index.html. To learn about candidates and issues, voters are encouraged to follow media reports and consult with family and friends in the U.S.
• Toll-free number for Voting Assistance when calling from Sweden: 020-79 68 76.
• The Federal Voting Assistance website contains all information you need for voting in U.S. elections while residing abroad - www.fvap.gov.
