How to vote absentee from overseas

Just because you are out of the country does not mean that you lose your right to choose. Military personnel, families of military personnel and other people who are outside of the United States at a time when an election is taking place, generally still have the right and opportunity to vote. To take advantage of your right…

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• To be a registered voter
• access to email or fax

1. Don’t wait until the last minute. Get started early.

2. Go to www.fvap.gov. Since each state has its own absentee voting regulations, you will have to follow the appropriate link to your home state (the state where you are registered and authorized to vote) and confirm whether or not you are eligible to vote and whether or not your state accepts alternative transmissions (fax, email, telephone).

3. If your state accepts alternative transmissions, download and fill out form SF-76. This is the Registration and Absentee Ballot Request, also called the FPCA.

4. If your state accepts the FPCA via fax or email and you plan to submit it this way, you will also need to download and fill out the transmittal sheet, which will be sent with it.

5. It is suggested that you email or fax your FPCA directly to your local election official(in your home state.)However, if the contact information is not available and you wish to email your request, send it to [e-mail]. If you wish to fax your request, and local fax numbers are unavailable, there are 52 toll-free international fax numbers listed on the website. If the country you are in is not amongst these 52, there are fax numbers at the bottom of the transmittal sheet that you must use.

6. After you have sent your FPCA by an alternative method, you must still print it out and send it through the mail to your local election official.

7. Once your FPCA is received, it will either be approved or you will be contacted with a request for more information.

8. Upon approval of your FPCA, you will be sent an absentee ballot through an approved method that you chose on your application.

9. Fill out the ballot and return it within the time frame specified by your state. Be sure to read your state’s guidelines carefully, because in some states, although you can submit your application and receive your ballot by alternative means, you are required to return the ballot through the mail.