How to vote in the US election from abroad (Note: Hurry!)
It’s election time in the US and you couldn’t escape hearing about it if you tried! If you’re an American citizen living abroad and haven’t requested your ballot yet, this article is for you — many states have a deadline for requesting an overseas ballot of 30 days before the election (i.e. by Fri. Oct. 7 to be safe).
Not sure how to do that? No worries! No matter which candidate you’re voting for — or against — here’s a handy guide to voting from overseas to help you make your vote count.
But I heard they only look at overseas votes in case of emergency. Does my vote really count anyway?
Yes, yes, yes! Your vote counts just as much as a vote cast from the US! In fact, overseas votes can make or break an election — like in 2000 when Bush defeated Gore.
‘Overseas ballots put George W. Bush narrowly in the lead when the Florida recount was stopped by the Supreme Court. Had the election been decided based on the ballots that had arrived by the 26 November deadline, Al Gore would have won the state of Florida, and the presidential election, by 202 votes,’ state two professors at the Rothermere American Institute at the University of Oxford in this academic paper called ‘America’s Overseas Voters: How they Could Decide the US Presidency in 2016.’
OK, I definitely want to vote. What do I have to do?
The short version:
1. Request a ballot using the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) form. (This also serves as your voter registration if you have not yet registered to vote.)
2. Make sure you’ve received the ballot.
3. Mark your vote.
4. Return the ballot.
Many excellent sites will walk you through the process step-by-step. Our favorite non-partisan sites:
· https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/vote/home.htm
· https://www.votefromabroad.org/
The US Department of State also has a helpful guide to absentee voting here.
I’m from Ohio but lived in California for my last 2 years in the US. Can I choose which state I vote from?
Sorry — you have to vote from your last official residence in the US, in this case California. Your voting address is usually the last place you lived (even if it was a 6-month sublet!). Your ‘official residence’ is established through things like renting property, registering for utilities, getting a driver’s license, etc.
Not sure if you’re registered to vote at your last address? This helpful site will let you check if you’re registered in a certain county.
Don’t even remember your last address? Try looking at a map to find your street name, then searching your email (or asking your family and friends to search theirs) in order to find the house number. If that fails, try contacting your university, past employers, doctors, etc. to see if they have your address on record.
What deadlines do I need to know about?
The deadlines for requesting a ballot, or postmarking your ballot when you mail it back to your election officials, vary from state to state. Many states have a deadline for requesting your ballot of 30 days before the election, but it’s better to request your ballot even earlier to give it plenty of time to arrive in the mail. (Note: some states allow you to do everything online now!) You can check this handy guide for your state’s deadlines and methods of voting.
It’s a good idea to check that your local election officials received your request for a ballot. You can find their contact information here and email or call them.
Your election officials are supposed to send your ballot 45 days before the election (provided you requested a ballot early enough). If you send your request in the 45 days before the election they will try to send your ballot ASAP — but it still might not reach you before the election. (See below — What if I don’t receive my ballot in time?)
Your completed ballot must be postmarked and mailed back on Election Day or before — make sure your envelope is clearly postmarked with the date!
However, many states only count ballots that were actually received before or on Election Day, even if your letter was postmarked before Election Day! This means that you should try to mail your ballot several weeks before the election if possible, to ensure your ballot is delivered before Election Day.
What if I don’t receive my ballot in time?
If you have not received your ballot at least 30 days before the election, you should complete and send in the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB). You can complete this online at FVAP.gov. If your normal ballot arrives, complete and return that as well. The FWAB will only be counted if your normal ballot doesn’t arrive in time — doing both the FWAB and normal ballot won’t invalidate your vote or cause you to vote twice.
How do I make sure my ballot gets there?
You can use regular mail — make sure the date on the postmark is legible and shows a mailing date on or before election day. Send the ballot to your local election official, and don’t forget to write ‘USA’ on the envelope.
Some states allow you to email or submit your ballot online — check the guidelines for your state here.
Can I check if my vote arrived in time and if it was counted?
This also varies state-by-state. For example, in California, voters can check if their ballot arrived, if it was counted, and if not why, by contacting local election officials through the county website or by phone.
Every year, thousands of votes are disqualified for various reasons — most of them easily avoidable, like remembering to sign the back of the ballot return envelope. NPR offers great tips on avoiding typical absentee voter mistakes here.
Will requesting a ballot or voting put me on IRS’ radar?
No. According to the US Department of State’s webpage on absentee voting, ‘Voting for candidates for federal offices does not affect your federal or state tax liability.’ (Voting in state or local elections may put you on your state’s radar for state taxes.)
I’m still feeling stuck!
Still need help with voting from overseas? Contact your local election officials or email the Federal Voting Assistance Program at vote@fvap.gov.
No matter how you feel about the 2016 candidates, don’t let your voice be ignored — be an active part of history and exercise your right to vote!
