Can American citizens vote while overseas?
Yes!
Do I vote in person at the Embassy or Consulate on election day?
No, you vote as an absentee voter by postal mail, by fax or by email through your local election office back home. You can get full information about the options available in your State at the Federal Voting Assistance Program website (www.fvap.gov). You can also contact FVAP by calling toll free 1-800-438-VOTE or emailing vote@fvap.gov.
Alternatively, you can contact your local election office in the U.S. directly if you have any questions about your participation as an absentee voter. FVAP maintains a full list here of all local election offices and their contact information.
What address in the U.S. do I use for voting purposes? How do I know which local election office is mine?
If you maintain a permanent address in the U.S., use that one. If you do not have a permanent address, use the address of your last residence in the U.S., even if you no longer have any tie to that address, even if the address no longer exists. See here for more information. If you have never lived in the U.S., see here for more information.
How do I register to vote and request an absentee ballot from overseas?
Go to www.fvap.gov. At that website, you can complete the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). Be sure to follow your State’s instructions for completing and returning the FPCA. To make sure you stay registered to vote, we recommend that you complete a new FPCA every year and every time you move.
Alternatively, you can contact your local election office directly for further information.
How do I know what my State’s deadlines are for registering, requesting a ballot and returning a ballot?
Go to www.fvap.gov. Choose your State on the map here, and you will find a full timetable of all election-related dates. You will also find all of your State’s election rules and acceptable voting methods.
How do I know whether there is an election coming up in my State, like a primary or a special election?
Please see the Upcoming Election Calendar at the Federal Voting Assistance Program website.
I am registered to vote, but I am approaching the ballot return deadline and still don’t have a ballot. Do I have any recourse?
Yes, voters who do not receive a ballot in time to return it by the ballot return deadline can send the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) to their election office as a back-up ballot. If the voter’s official absentee ballot arrives after sending in the FWAB, he or she may complete and submit the official ballot, too. Only one ballot will be counted.
To complete and print an FWAB, please visit www.fvap.gov. Please note that the FWAB will only permit you to vote in federal elections, such as those for president, senator and Congressional representative. To vote on local offices or initiatives/propositions, you must use a proper ballot from your local election office.
If my State requires that I send back a paper ballot by postal mail, can I do that at the Embassy or Consulate? What about the FPCA and the FWAB?
Absolutely. We are happy to accept all election materials (properly sealed) for mailing to the U.S. through the diplomatic postal service. However, please note that anything you drop off for mailing must either have adequate U.S. postage or be enclosed in a postage-paid envelope downloaded from www.fvap.gov. Neither the Embassy nor the Consulate sells U.S. postage.
The diplomatic postal service can be slow. Election materials you mail through the Embassy or Consulate could take 4-6 weeks to arrive at the local election office.
Please contact your local election office or FVAP to find out the deadline for returning election materials. The U.S. Mission will accept ballots for mailing to the U.S. at any time and will relay them promptly, even if there is no likelihood that they will be received by election day at the local election office.
As an alternative, you may also mail your ballot and other voting materials directly to your local election office via international mail.
What are the hours for dropping off election materials at the Embassy or Consulate?
You may drop off your election materials at the Embassy’s consular section on Safarat Street between 8:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Friday. You may drop off election materials at the Consulate General’s consular entrance on Al Seef Road between 8:00 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Friday (except on UAE or US holidays). Please ask the guards or greeters for directions to the drop-box.
Can the Embassy or Consulate assist me with returning my ballot by fax or email?
No, for privacy reasons, we cannot assist with returning ballots that are not sealed in an envelope. If you have to use public facilities for faxing or emailing, you can download a cover sheet from the FVAP website.
How do I confirm that my ballot was received and counted?
Please contact your local election office. Some jurisdictions have online ballot trackers, so you should visit the election office’s website.
If you need additional assistance, please contact VoteAbuDhabi@state.gov or VoteDubai@state.gov