Voting Overseas

U.S. citizens overseas are encouraged to participate in our democratic process by voting from abroad.  New regulations for overseas voting are now in effect.  If you want to vote while you are outside the United States, you should send a completed Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to your local election officials every year. It's easy to do - just go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s website at www.FVAP.gov to start the process.  This is the official U.S. Government website for overseas absentee voting information.

We strongly recommend you get in the habit of submitting a new FPCA every January to ensure you receive ballots for all the elections in which you are eligible to vote during the calendar year. In addition to the November general elections held every other year, you may be eligible to vote in federal or state primary elections, special elections, emergency elections, and runoff elections.

You can obtain an FPCA at FVAP’s website.  The FPCA is accepted by all local election officials in all U.S. states and territories.  An online wizard will help you complete the form.  Depending on your state’s voting requirements, you then either send in the FPCA electronically or mail it to your local election officials.  To mail it, print out the completed FPCA and the (U.S.) postage-paid envelope containing the address of your local election officials.  If you bring in your forms or ballots to us we will mail them back home for you without you having to pay for international mail.  If it’s easier for you to use UAE's postal system, be sure to affix sufficient postage and allow sufficient time for international mail delivery. 

You cannot register to vote or vote at the Embassy.  However, the Embassy will have a limited number of FCPA and Federal Write in Absentee Ballots (FWAB) which you may complete at the Embassy and send in to the appropriate office for your place of residence as outlined at www.fvap.gov.

You may drop off your completed forms or ballots any Sunday, Monday, Wednesday or Thursday between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm that the Embassy is open.  If you need help completing your FCPA or FWAB, please contact us at abudhabiacs@state.gov to schedule an appointment.

If you have any questions about registering to vote overseas, please contact Embassy Abu Dhabi’s Voting Assistance Officer at abudhabiacs@state.gov.