An increasing number of Americans are choosing to make their voice heard in presidential elections, and the approximately three million citizens who live abroad must have the ability to have their votes counted.
Therefore, a simple, trustworthy and effective system has been developed over successive decades to allow Americans to vote from overseas, whether they are serving in the military, working or studying.
There are a few key things that Americans living outside of the US will have to do over the coming months, to ensure they can make their voice heard.
Along with the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), we walk you through the steps you’ll need to take to vote this year.
Step One – Ensure you’ve requested your Absentee Ballot
You can’t vote without a ballot, meaning that one will need to be sent to you.
An absentee ballot can be sent to you once you’ve registered your details with the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).
Using the online tool you will be asked for your voting residence, as well as a few other personal details that your local election office can use to identify you and verify your eligibility to vote.
If you’re unsure of where your voting residence might be, FVAP has more information to help you determine it.
Once you’ve entered all your information, you’ll be able to print out your form, sign it and send it in.
FVAP advises doing this by August 1st to ensure that you receive your absentee ballot on time, and can return it by November 5th.
If you’re worried about whether your application has been received, you can contact the responsible election office.
Step Two – Fill in and return your absentee ballot
Once you’ve successfully returned your FPCA form, your absentee ballot will be sent to you by the method you requested – typically by email or by post.
After receiving it, it’s a good idea to fill it out and return it as soon as you can, to give your ballot plenty of time to be received by the relevant election office. FVAP recommends that they are sent at the very latest by October 24th.
Each state in the US has a different deadline by which received ballots must be postmarked to be counted. You can find out yours on the FVAP site.
This means that it is worth investigating the length of time it takes for mail to travel between the country you’re living in and the United States.
While most postal services – especially in Europe – are very efficient, there are always instances where delays can occur, and it’s good to have some spare time built into returning your ballot.
Step Three – Have a backup plan
As has just been noted, there’s always the possibility that your absentee ballot might be delayed on the way back to the United States.
In this case, don’t despair: you can still place your vote using a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB).
If you are worried that your ballot won’t reach your local election office in time – use the FWAB. Fill it out, sign it and submit it to your election office.
If you don’t want to use the online tool to complete your FWAB, you can download a PDF version that you can print out and fill out yourself.
It’s important to note that if your absentee ballot arrives after your FWAB is sent, it will not be counted – only the first to arrive at your local election office will.
Step Four – Remind your family and friends!
Life can be a bit of a whirlwind, especially when you’re living overseas. It can be easy to lose track of things back home.
So, if you’ve requested (and returned) your absentee ballot, consider reminding those around you that it’s time to ensure they’re able to vote, pointing them to the FVAP homepage.
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