Voting Overseas

Are You Planning to Vote in the Presidential Elections?

• All American citizens who wish to vote in the upcoming elections should visit Fvap.gov, the Federal Voting Assistance Program, for details on requirements, absentee voting procedures, and deadlines for each individual state. For your convenience, please refer to the link Voting Deadlines by State on the right to view important dates for your state. However, Fvap.gov should be your primary reference tool for deadlines and requirements.
• Note that all states and territories now allow a citizen to register and request an absentee ballot by submitting a single Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).  This FPCA can be obtained from the Embassy’s voting assistance office or found at Fvap.gov.
• Please be aware that some states/territories still require notarial action.  This service can be provided by the Embassy at no charge.  You will need to make an appointment, which can be done online, if you require a notary.  
• Requests for an absentee ballot must be received as early as Sept. 7, 2012 in some states.  Voters should check Fvap.gov to find updated information relevant for each state/territory.

Embassy Assistance

• Deborah Campbell is the Voting Assistance Officer and can be reached in the ACS office at +359 2 937 5100 or at acs_sofia@state.gov.  She will be available for questions from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., and from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. on regular business days.
• Unfortunately, FVAP does not have a toll-free number to call from Bulgaria.  Voters in Bulgaria should call the non toll-free number of FVAP’s voter information center at 703-588-1584 or contact them by email: vote@fvap.gov.  FVAP also offers a live chat option during certain hours to answer voting-related questions.
• For citizens in need of notary services, an appointment must be made.  Scheduling is available online.
• Voting-related materials can be mailed from the consular section back to the U.S. via diplomatic pouch.  Voters are  advised that this option will take 2 to 3 weeks and should plan to mail their absentee request forms and ballots accordingly to ensure the materials arrive prior to the deadlines.  Fvap.gov should be consulted for updated information and deadlines for each state.

Frequently Asked Questions about Registration and Absentee Voting

I am a U.S. citizen living abroad. Can I vote in U.S. elections?
Yes. Generally, all U.S. citizens 18 years or older who are or will be residing outside the United States during an election period are eligible to vote by absentee ballot in any election for Federal office.

Why should I vote in U.S. elections?
You would probably be outraged if someone told you where to live, what to wear or what to eat. Elected officials make decisions that directly affect your daily life. They have a key role in formulating U.S. foreign policy, the appointment of U.S. Ambassadors, ratification of treaties, participation in international organizations and many other decisions that affect Americans living overseas. By not voting, you allow others to decide issues that greatly and directly affect you and your family.

What is an election for Federal office?
An election for Federal office is any general, special, runoff or primary election to select, nominate, or elect any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the United States Senate, Member of the United States House of Representatives, Delegates from the District of Columbia, Guam, Virgin Islands, and American Samoa, and Resident Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

When are the elections?
States and territories hold primary, runoff and special elections throughout the year.

Can I vote at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate?
No. However, Voting Assistance Officers and staff at U.S. Embassies and Consulates will help U.S. citizens complete registration forms and absentee ballots, witness or notarize the forms or ballots (if required), and provide other non-partisan absentee voting information. They will also allow you to send voting materials through the diplomatic pouch or APO/FPO mail system to your local election officials in the U.S., where your registration and ballot requests are processed and voted absentee ballots are counted.

How can I register to vote and apply for an absentee ballot?
You may register and request an absentee ballot with a single form: The Federal Post Card Application. This application form is accepted by all States and territories and is postage- paid in the U.S. mail, including the Military Postal System and State Department Pouch mail.

An online version of the Voter Registration/Absentee Ballot Request form is also available. The online version of the form must be mailed in an envelope with proper postage, or mailed using our prepaid return envelope.

Hard copies of the form can be obtained from your installation's Voting Assistance Officer or requested directly from the Federal Voting Assistance Program by contacting us.

Your Voter Registration/Absentee Ballot Request form must be completed, printed, signed, dated and mailed directly to your local election official.

Where can I find absentee registration and voting procedures for my state?
Detailed state-by-state instructions are available at the Federal Voting Assistance Program website.

Is the FPCA also available on the Internet?
Yes, but not everyone can use it. The Federal Voting Assistance Program website contains an online version of the FPCA (OFPCA). It is accepted by all States and territories, except American Samoa and Guam. The territories that do not accept the OFPCA will refuse to register or send ballots to overseas citizens who use the OFPCA.

Where do I send my FPCA?
Send the FPCA to your local election official.

I'm not currently registered to vote. If I do not maintain an address or residence in the U.S., what is my voting residence?
Your legal state of residence for voting purposes is the state or territory where you last resided immediately prior to your departure from the United States. This applies to overseas citizens even though they may not have property or other ties in their last state or territory of residence and their intent to return to that state or territory may be uncertain.

When completing the voting residence section of the FPCA, be sure to enter the entire mailing address of your last U.S. residence, including street or rural route and number. This information is necessary for local election officials to place you in the proper voting district, ward, precinct or parish.

U.S. citizens who have never resided in the U.S. usually claim one of their parent's legal state or territory of residence as their own. Some states, but not all, will allow these citizens to register and vote absentee.

I do not know the address where I last resided in the US. How can I figure it out?
Search your records or check with family members for your U.S. address. When completing the FPCA, provide your fax number and e-mail address, and the telephone number of a relative in the US to make it easy for election officials to follow up with additional questions if necessary.

Can I submit my FPCA electronically?
You cannot submit the FPCA via the Internet, but most states will let you fax the FPCA if you then send in the original by mail. Follow your state's instructions for electronic transmission of the FPCA.

Do I have to submit a separate application for each election?
No. By sending in one FPCA to your local election officials, you will receive ballots for all Federal elections during the current calendar year.

Does my FPCA or ballot have to be witnessed or notarized?
Some states/territories still require notarial action relating to absentee ballots. Remember that there is no fee to be charged for ballot-related notarial actions.)

Do I need to pay postage to send in the FPCA?
It depends. The hard copy of the FPCA has pre-paid franking. It can be mailed without the need for postage stamps if it is sent through any APO/FPO mail facility, the Embassy or Consulate diplomatic pouch, or hand-carried to the U.S. and dropped off in the U.S. postal system.

If you download or photocopy the OFPCA, and send it through the diplomatic pouch, APO/FPO facilities or arrange for it to be hand-carried to the U.S. and dropped off in the U.S. postal system, you will first need to put it in an envelope and affix U.S. postage stamps.

If you send the FPCA or the OFPCA via the foreign postal system, you will need to affix international postage stamps.

Some express courier services may offer to send voting materials free of charge to the U.S. and deposit them into the U.S. postal system. The FPCA does not need any postage, but the downloaded OFPCA does. Contact the courier service or your Voting Assistance Officer for details.

If you send the FPCA or OFPCA by express courier service directly to local election officials, you need not affix postage but will have to pay applicable express courier charges.

When is the best time to apply for an absentee ballot?
Apply today. Generally, if you are using the FPCA to both register and request an absentee ballot, you should mail it in as early in the calendar year as possible. If you are using an FPCA to request a ballot, send it in so election officials receive it at least 45 days before election day to allow them ample time to process the request and mail a ballot back to you. Be sure to advise your election official of any change to your address.

When should I receive my ballot?
Most states and territories begin mailing ballots to citizens 30-45 days before an election. Experience should tell you how long it takes for mail from the U.S. to reach you. Be sure to provide a clear, accurate and complete address in the "Mail To" section of your FPCA. Use the address at which you receive the swiftest mail service from the U.S.

Can I send in my voted ballot by fax or the Internet?
You cannot submit your voted ballot via the Internet, but some states will let you submit the voted ballot by fax under certain conditions. Follow your state's instructions for electronic transmission of the ballot.

Will my absentee ballot be counted?
Every properly executed absentee ballot that is received by your local election officials by the deadline will be counted. However, if it is not properly filled out or if it reaches its final destination after your state's ballot receipt deadline, it will not be counted.

My state will count my ballot as long as it is post-marked by election day and received by the state ballot deadline. Does an express courier service date stamp count as a postmark?
The decision whether to accept a courier service date stamp as a postmark is up to your local election officials. Contact them directly for the answer or contact FVAP by e-mail at vote@fvap.ncr.gov or through the FVAP toll-free number for your country.

What should I do if my ballot is delayed or just doesn't show up?
If you have not received your ballot three weeks before the election, contact the Federal Voting Assistance Program's Ombudsman Service by e-mail at vote@fvap.ncr.gov for help in determining when your ballot was mailed. Always execute and return your absentee ballot regardless of when you receive it. Court decisions sometimes require the counting of ballots voted and postmarked by election day, but received late. Obtain a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot from your Voting Assistance Officer and send it in.

What is the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot?
Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) is an emergency or back-up ballot To be eligible for this ballot, a citizen must:

• Be located overseas.
• Apply for a regular ballot early enough so that the request is received by the local election official at least 30 days before the election.
• Fail to receive the requested regular absentee ballot.

The back-up Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) can be easily and automatically completed by using the FPCA wizard at FVAP.gov.

An online version is also available, which must be completed, printed, signed, dated, and mailed to your local election official. Check out your State's instructions to determine your State specific instructions, witness requirements for voted ballots, deadlines, and mailing addresses.

Hardcopies are available through Voting Assistance Officers at military installations or at U.S. embassies/consulates.

Where can I obtain information on a candidate's issues and positions?
In addition to finding information on international news channels, the Internet or in U.S. newsmagazines and newspapers, you can contact Democrats Abroad or Republicans Abroad. They maintain offices overseas and will send you information pertaining to candidates and issues. U.S. Embassies and Consulates can provide the local addresses or phone numbers for these organizations. Alternatively, you may contact the following organizations directly:

Where can I find information on state and local issues while overseas?
Surf the Web for information! Alternatively, subscribe to hometown newspapers or contact friends and relatives for information on state and local issues. Also, Federal Voting Assistance Program's website has links to sources for information on candidates, parties and issues.

Will I be taxed by my last state or territory of residence if I vote absentee?
Voting in elections for Federal offices only does not affect the determination of residence or domicile for purposes of any tax imposed under Federal, state, or local law. Voting in an election for Federal office only may not be used as the sole basis to determine residency for the purpose of imposing state and local taxes.

However, you may be liable for state and local taxation if you claim a particular state or territory as your residence and have other ties with that state or territory in addition to voting, or if you vote in an election for other than a Federal office. Consult with legal counsel in your state or territory for answers to specific questions.