Voter Registration
Voter Assistance
Under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), the right to vote can be exercised by United States citizens in every corner of the world. Generally all U.S. citizens 18 years or older who are residing outside the United States during an election period are eligible to vote absentee in any election for Federal office (this includes Presidential elections and the elections of Senators and Representatives).
Voting eligibility and residency requirements are determined by the various U.S. states. Your legal state of residence for voting purposes is the state where you last resided immediately prior to departure from the United States. If you have never resided in the United States, you may request to register and vote in the last state that your parents or grandparents resided in before your birth. However, always check with your state's local board of elections since the state determines your eligibility to vote.
Voter Registration and Requesting an Absentee Ballot
U.S. citizens are encouraged to visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) website at http://www.fvap.gov/ the official U.S. government website for overseas voters. This website features an automated Voter Registration and Ballot Delivery tool that will assist with the vote-by-mail process.
The procedures and deadlines to vote absentee vary from state to state. However, the same document and the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) are accepted by all states and territories as an application for both registration and for an absentee ballot.
Emergency Ballots
The Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) serves as an emergency ballot for voters who registered in time but fail to receive an official ballot from local election officials. The FWAB is backup ballot. It is available in the Internet at http://www.fvap.gov/vao/index.html
Please note: You must register to vote and request an absentee ballot by your state's deadline to be eligible to use the FWAB.
Additional information
The official U.S. Government resource for overseas absentee voters is the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) website: http://www.fvap.gov/
You can also see the U.S. Department of State website at: http://travel.state.gov/travel/living/overseas_voting/overseas_voting_4754.html
Another useful resource is the Overseas Vote Foundation at: https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/vote/home.htm
Americans in Belarus may also contact Democrats Abroad at: http://www.democratsabroad.org/ or Republicans Abroad at: http://www.republicansabroad.org/ for voting information, or for assistance in registering to vote or to request absentee ballots.
The Consular Section is available to answer questions about absentee voting. To contact the Consular Section, call + 375 17 21012 83 from 4:00 to 5:00 PM any working day or sent an e-mail to: ConsularMinsk@state.gov. Please, keep in mind that you must apply early to vote by absentee ballot.