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Voting

Voting in U.S. Federal Elections 

By  U.S. Mission Austria 

February 10, 2026 

 

Your vote counts! Did you know that many U.S. federal elections for the House of Representatives and Senate have been decided by a margin smaller than the number of ballots cast by absentee voters?  All states are required to count every absentee ballot that is valid and reaches local election officials by the absentee ballot receipt deadline. 

Follow a few simple steps to make sure that you can vote in the U.S. federal elections: 

  1. Request your ballot. 

Complete and send a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to your local election officials. You must complete a new FPCA after January 1 of each year to ensure you receive your ballots for that calendar year’s elections, which include primary elections, general elections and special elections. All local election officials in all U.S. states and territories accept the FPCA. 

You can complete the FPCA online at the Federal Voting Assistance Program website, FVAP.gov.  The online voting assistant will ask you questions specific to your state and will tell you if your state allows the FPCA to be returned electronically or if you must submit a paper application with original ink signature.  We encourage you to request that your blank ballots be delivered electronically (by email, internet download, or fax, depending on your state) if your state offers that option.  Return the FPCA per the instructions on the website.  If you must return a paper version, please follow the same instructions in section three below for returning your ballot.  (Note if you have already gone through this process and just need a blank FPCA, you can download the PDF (240kb) here.)   

  1. Receive and complete your ballot. 

States are required to send out ballots 45 days before a regular election for federal office and generally send ballots at least 30 days before primary elections.  For most states, you can check your registration status and ballot delivery online. 

  1. Return your completed ballot.  

While some states allow you to return your completed ballot electronically, others do not.  If your state requires you to return paper voting forms or ballots to local election officials, you can do so at most U.S. embassies or consulates.  In Austria, you can bring your completed FPCA or absentee ballot to the U.S. Embassy Consular Section at Parkring 12A (Marriot Hotel building), 4th Floor, 1010 Vienna, and we will send it with our diplomatic pouch or mail. 

  • The voting materials must be in a U.S. postage-paid return envelope or an envelope with sufficient domestic U.S. postage and addressed to your local election officials. 
  • Drop-off hours are M-F, 8:00-16:00, excluding U.S. and Austrian holidays.  You should allow at least four weeks for delivery if you bring your ballot to the consular section.   

You can also send your FPCA or ballot to your local election officials via international mail or professional courier service at your own expense. 

Research candidates and issues.  The FVAP “Helpful Links” page has links to websites for state and territory election offices, state voter registration verification, overseas citizens groups, other federal government agencies, and other organizations that can provide information about voting, candidates, and issues.  FVAP regularly sends information about election dates and deadlines through its Voting Alerts. Email vote@fvap.gov to subscribe, or follow FVAP on Facebook  or X. 

Learn more at FVAP.gov.   

Remember, your vote counts!  

 

U.S. Embassy Vienna – Consular Section
Parkring 12A (Marriott Hotel Building, 4th floor), 1010 Vienna,  Austria