Public services
Voter Registration
American citizens are able to vote by absentee ballot if they are overseas. Listed below are a few basic procedures on how to obtain a ballot or register to vote.
ACS has a Voting Assistance Guide that lists the dates of the presidential and state primary elections and contains detailed registration/voting procedures for each of the 50 states. ACS also has Federal Post Card Applications (FPCAs) - these are simultaneous voter registration and/or absentee ballot request cards. Some states require the FPCAs to be notarized as well.
The FPCAs can be mailed postage-free through the diplomatic pouch. Please keep in mind that the regular absentee ballot request and receipt deadlines apply - so take into account that mailing via pouch will take additional time. A few states accept faxed FCPAs - the Voting Assistance Guide indicates which ones do and give the requisite fax number.
If you do not receive the regular absentee ballot that you previously requested, ACS has Federal Write-In Absentee Ballots (FWABs). FWABs are generally restricted to general and federal office elections (states have different acceptance policies) and the FWABs must be received by the regular absentee ballot deadline for your state.
Want to go on-line and obtain more details? The Federal Voting Assistance Program has its own web site and the Voting Assistance Guide is also available there:
