Americans aged 18 and older who are registered to vote while residing abroad are eligible to vote in elections throughout the year, including the U.S. presidential elections.
The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) is the official source of information for overseas voting. Detailed information on voting by mail is available, as well as downloadable forms and state-specific information about procedures, deadlines to register and vote, and a calendar of election dates.
To register for a vote by mail ballot, it is necessary to register with your voting authority based on your U.S. voting address, orcomplete the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to request a ballot abroad. FPCA cards are available through the FVAP online or in print at the American Citizen Services office at U.S. Embassy Prague.
The U.S. Embassy also offers a free service to U.S. voters to mail their pre-paid official U.S. election mail to the United States. Voters can deposit their sealed envelopes with required postage at the voter drop box located just inside the embassy lobby.
For further information on voting in U.S. elections please see our Voter Assistance page. If you still have unanswered questions after reviewing these resources, please email us at voteprague@state.gov.
Voting in U.S. Elections
Your vote counts! Did you know that many U.S. elections for house and senate have been decided by a margin smaller than the number of ballots cast by mail? All states are required to count every absentee ballot as long as it 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 U.S. elections:
1. Request Your Ballot: Complete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). You must complete a new FPCA after January 1 every year to ensure you receive your mail-inballot for elections each year. The completion of the FPCA allows you to request vote by mail ballots for all elections for federal offices (President, U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives) including primaries and special elections during the calendar year in which it is submitted. The FPCA is accepted by all local election officials in all U.S. states and territories
You can complete the FPCA online at FVAP.gov. The online voting assistant will ask you questions specific to your state. We encourage you to ask your local election officials to deliver your blank ballots to you electronically (by email, internet download, or fax, depending on your state). Include your email address on your FPCA to take advantage of the electronic ballot delivery option. Return the FPCA per the instructions on the website. FVAP.gov will tell you if your state allows the FPCA to be returned electronically or if you must submit a paper copy with original signature. If you must return a paper version, please see below for mailing options.
2. Receive and Complete Your Ballot: States are required to send out ballots 45 days before a regular election for federal office and states generally send out ballots at least 30 days before primary elections. For most states, you can confirm your registration and ballot delivery online.
3. Return Your Completed, Signed Ballot: Some states allow you to return your completed ballot electronically and others do not. If your state requires you to return paper voting forms or ballots to local election officials by mail; you can do so through international mail, professional courier service, or through the American Citizens Services unit at U.S. Embassy Prague.
Mailing Options
Option One: If you are sending your ballot through U.S. Embassy Prague, ballots can be dropped off at the voting drop box at the U.S. Embassy Prague entrance any business day from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ballots must be placed in postage paid return envelopes or in envelopes bearing sufficient U.S. domestic postage so they may be delivered to the proper U.S. election authorities. We will send your signed, sealed ballot via diplomatic post office (DPO) to the United States. Transit times can vary but may be up to 3-4 weeks, for an election on November 5 we recommend mailing your ballot by October 5.
Option Two: If it’s more convenient for you, you can also return your FPCA or ballot to your local election officials via international mail or professional courier service at your own expense. This option also includes a way for you to track your ballot all the way to your local voting precinct.
Option Three: U.S. citizens residing in Czechia who are not able to drop off their ballots in person at the embassy may also mail their ballots to the U.S. Embassy for forwarding to the United States. Please place your sealed/signed ballot into a larger envelope with appropriate postage and address it to us as follows:
American Embassy
Attn: American Citizen Services
Trziste 15
118 01 Praha 1
You need two envelopes for this process. Address the first envelope to Embassy Prague at the mailing address above. Address the second envelope to your local state election office and enclose your FPCA or ballot inside. The second envelope needs to be postage-paid or have sufficient U.S. postage to be delivered to your local election office from the U.S. sorting facility where it will be mailed. Seal the second envelope, place it inside the first envelope, and mail the package to us at the address noted above.
For information about election dates and deadlines, subscribe to FVAP’s Voting Alerts (vote@fvap.gov). FVAP also shares Voting Alerts via Facebook (@DODFVAP), Twitter (@FVAP), and Instagram (@fvapgov).
Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s (FVAP) website, FVAP.gov. If you have any questions about registering to vote overseas, please contact Embassy Prague’s Voting Assistance Officer at acsprg@state.gov.
Remember, your vote counts!
