YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE

There Are Up To 6.5 Million US Citizens Abroad Who Are Eligible To Vote. Here’s How To Be One Of Them

With the candidates in each of the two major political parties now selected, US election season is now in high gear. All US citizens abroad over 18 have the right to vote in federal elections, no matter how long they’ve been away. Contrary to myth, overseas votes must be counted for an election to be certified – though some elections are ‘called’ beforehand if the races aren’t close. In fact, votes from abroad have been the ‘margin of victory’ in close races up and down the ballot. Our votes matter.

The process of voting from abroad is different from voting absentee domestically.

Americans abroad should register and request their absentee ballots by using a federal form called the FPCA (Federal Postcard Application). They should send in this form every calendar year, even if they are already registered, as early as January. Federal law says that states are not required to send ballots to voters abroad without a same year request. Some states will do so anyway for a set amount of time, but state laws change, and it can be hard to keep track. In addition, having an up-todate FPCA on file could protect your ballot in the event of a challenge.

Some states will allow abroad voters to register and request a ballot via their own state website, but voters should ensure they select the ‘abroad’ category, and state ID is often required - something abroad voters may no longer have, and is not required when using the FPCA.

No matter what you’ve done in the past, complete your FPCA registration/ballot request today! There are several websites that allow you to fill out the form online, and I’ll mention two: FVAP.gov, the government website, and votefromabroad.org (VFA), a website that is provided as a public service by the Democratic Party Committee Abroad.

VFA is easier to use as it offers a photosignature option. This means you can complete and sign the form using the camera on your mobile phone and, if permitted by your state, email it to your Local Election Official (LEO) without having to print anything out.

It’s best to send the form by email if your state allows - and most do. The sites will let you know if you can, based on your US voting address and registration status. Requesting your ballot is just the first step in a multi-step process. Put this list on your fridge as a reminder:

• Get to know your LEO. Once you’ve sent in the form, confirm your LEO has accepted and received it

• Check your inbox and your spam filter for your ballot 45 days before each election. For the November 5 general election, ballots start going out from September 21. Mark that date. If no ballot by then, contact your LEO

• Follow the directions carefully for completing and returning your voted ballot. Absentee ballots in some states may be subjected to a higher level of scrutiny, given the persistence of unfounded claims about voter fraud. States also have different rules. Though all states will email ballots to abroad voters, twenty states still require voters to postal mail their voted ballot back. Putting the printed ballot materials together can be a bit of an origami project. Have envelopes, scissors and tape handy.

Five states, including California and Florida, will accept ballots by mail or fax, but not email. No fax? Look for an app that can convert a PDF into a fax. Or, you can email a scan of your ballot materials to fax@fvap.gov and

FVAP will fax them to your LEO - just don’t wait until the last minute. For instructions, go to ‘Fax and Email guidelines’ on FVAP.gov.

• Act fast. No matter what your ballot return method, send your voted ballot back as soon as you receive it. The top reason overseas ballots are not accepted is that they arrive too late to be counted. Postal mail can be slow, so use an electronic method to return your ballot if allowed by your state

• Confirm your ballot has been received and accepted, either on your state website or with your LEO

• Have a back-up plan. If you’ve sent in an FPCA but don’t get your state ballot, or you sent your state ballot but your LEO hasn’t received it, you can use a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) to vote. You can generate a FWAB on FVAP.gov. It’s not voting twice to send in a FWAB - if your LEO receives both ballots by the deadline, they’ll count only your state ballot. If you need help, you can get it on FVAP.gov in the ‘Feedback’ tab or via VFA using the red icon on the lower right of the landing page. VFA also offers live voter help via Zoom: Go to or https://qrco.de/bbh0zg or scan the QR code below.

Laura Mosedale has lived in London for 26 years and votes from abroad in Minnesota. She is an FVAP.gov-trained Voting Assistance Officer. If you’d like to help get out the abroad vote, please email votefromabroaduk@gmail.com. We set up and staff nonpartisan voter registration drives at companies, clubs, international school and study abroad programmes. For nonpartisan voting information, follow votefromabroad on Instagram, FB, Linked In, TikTok and YouTube.