Voting from Abroad: U.S. Citizens Living Overseas

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Not registered to vote in the upcoming U.S. elections? It’s not too late to register and get your absentee ballot! 

Who Can Vote? (And Why Bother?)

Who can vote in U.S. federal elections while residing overseas? 

The short answer is that all American citizens studying, working or living abroad for any reason are eligible to vote using an absentee ballot. This includes all U.S. military personnel and their families, providing that those family members are also U.S. citizens and are over the age of 18.

Maybe you’re thinking: “Well, that’s good to know, but it doesn’t matter. My one vote won’t make a difference.” Not true! It's estimated that anywhere from 4.8 to 9 million Americans live overseas; however, in 2020, only a tiny percentage of those people exercised their right to vote. While you might be correct in thinking that a single vote won’t make an impact on the outcome of an election, all those millions of expat votes combined could absolutely change the outcome of an election. 

Or perhaps you’re thinking that it's probably complicated to vote from abroad, or that it could be expensive? Maybe you’re not sure how to register? 

Is it Really Legal to Vote from Abroad?

We live in the era of non-stop information — 24-hour news cycles, social media feeds — and some of that information is inevitably misinformation or disinformation.

Former President and current Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump tweeted that Democrats are going to “cheat by using UOCAVA, a program that emails ballots overseas without any citizenship check or verification of identity whatsoever.” 

The absentee voting process for U.S. citizens in federal elections is made possible by the program Trump mentioned: the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). This act was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1986; its responsibilities fall under the umbrella of the United States Department of Defense, which administers these responsibilities through the Federal Voting Assistance Program (or FVAP). 

The FVAP website includes detailed information about overseas voting procedures and requirements. As you can read on their website, it is impossible to register to vote or to receive an absentee ballot without providing valid legal identification. This crucial part of the law was included as a safeguard against voter fraud. 

The site also includes a feature designed to answer a number of FAQs: it allows you to click on your state of U.S. residence on a map to see the specific voting registration procedures and requirements for each state, including the registration deadline and ballot return deadline.

Voter Requirements

You’ll need a state ID number or a social security number to register. Some states only require the last four digits of your social security number, while others require the entire number. You can find the ID requirements in your state on the FVAP website.

You will also need a legal U.S. voting residence. This doesn’t mean that you need to be currently living in or receiving mail in the United States; it’s perfectly legal to use your former address in the state where you most recently lived before moving abroad.  The address may still be used as your voting address even if you no longer live there, and/or have no intention of living there again. Again, you can check the FVAP website for confirmation.

The address you’ll fill in on your absentee ballot must be a physical address, such as a house or an apartment; a P.O. Box does not count. Filling in a P.O. Box as your voting address on the registration form or filling in any non-U.S. address will automatically disqualify you from receiving a ballot. 

Using an old address in a state in which you used to live in order to vote in federal elections will not impact your U.S. tax or fiscal responsibilities in any way. However, if you don’t remember the address of your last legal residence and can’t find it in any tax or financial records, it would be a good idea to talk to a lawyer before claiming a legal residence in a new state; for example, at a parent or other relative’s home in the U.S.**

You’ll also be asked to provide a working email address and your overseas mailing address in order to register.

Children of U.S. Citizens Living Abroad

If you are a U.S. citizen 18 years or older who was born abroad and has never lived in nor established residency in the U.S., you may still be eligible to vote, depending on what state your parents are from. A number of states allow children of United States citizens who do have legal residency there to vote.

You do not have to have any kind of past voting history in order to register to vote from abroad. This means that you are legally allowed to vote via absentee ballot even if this is your first time voting in a federal election.

How Much Does It Cost to Register?

It’s easy to register, and it’s free. The Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) is a program that was established specifically to help overseas voters register, receive and return their ballot. You can click on the FPCA link, above, to register to vote and request your absentee ballot.

The only cost involved in voting from abroad is the postage when you mail in your ballot, if your state doesn’t allow you to return your ballot electronically. 

Maybe you’re not sure if you’re already registered? It’s easy to check at your state’s voter registration confirmation website*. 

How to Vote: Step One

Absentee voting is a two-step process, and the first step is to register and request your ballot. 

You’ll have to fill out a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) and submit it to the local election officials in your state of legal residence. Instructions on exactly how to fill it out and return it are at the FPCA link, above, as are registration deadlines. Online voter registration closes at different dates in different states—some as early as October 6th, others as late as October 25th. A few states have no registration deadline at all. 

After receiving your application, your state will confirm your eligibility and put your name on a list to receive absentee ballots for all elections to be held during that calendar year. It usually only takes a few days to receive confirmation via email; if you don’t receive confirmation, you can check for yourself via your state’s voter registration confirmation website*, or by emailing your local representatives.

Your blank absentee ballot will be sent to you via email approximately 45 days before the next election. Always make sure to check your SPAM folder.

It's recommended that you resubmit a new FPCA form every year. It’s also recommended to submit a new form every time your legal voting address in the U.S. changes; this could be the case if, for example, if you split your time between the U.S. and another country, and decide to change your U.S. residence. 

Step Two: Filling Out and Returning Your Ballot

Once you’ve received your absentee ballot, you have to fill it out, sign it, and return it. Detailed instructions are included with the ballot, so make sure to read them all. It’s a good idea to return it as soon as possible; make sure to check your state’s ballot return deadline. 

Some states allow voters to return their votes electronically, via fax or email. Go to the FVAP website, or this link at VoteFromAbroad.org, and click on the image of your state to find out how you may return your ballot. 

If your state requires you to return your ballot through the mail, you can simply print it, fill it out, sign it, and put it in an envelope and attach enough international postage to make sure it arrives in the U.S.; however, if you live in Spain then then you’re probably already aware that the Spanish regular mail system is often slow and unreliable. A better alternative to make sure your vote arrives in time to be counted is Paquete International Light at Correos. It doesn’t require a signature upon delivery — many election offices won’t accept a delivery if the signature is required — and it’s much less expensive than DHL, FedEx or UPS.

It’s important to note that each signature on your ballot does not have to be witnessed or notarized. However, each state uses its own methods of verifying your identity when your ballot is received; sometimes this can include signature matching. Click here to find out what kinds of ID verification methods your state uses when counting absentee ballots.

American citizens living abroad who have already registered to vote in the upcoming U.S. Presidential elections should have received their ballot by around September 21st. If you have not received your absentee ballot 30 days before an election, you can also use the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot to vote. In this case, you would write in the names of candidates you’d like to vote for then print, sign and mail the FWAB to your local election officials. 

You’ll still be required to provide identification in order to vote via Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot.

Voter Registration Help and Resources

If you still have questions after reading this article, there are a number of resources out to help you register to vote from abroad. Some of the easiest and most informative include: 

If you prefer face-to-face assistance, your local U.S. Consulate or Embassy should be able to help, as well as provide you with information regarding your state’s absentee voting regulations.

The non-profit organization Democrats Abroad Spain can also help you register to vote; their local branches regularly organize events and get-out-the-vote drives both here in Barcelona as well as in other Spanish cities such as Madrid, Valencia and others. Some are purely information sessions, whereas others are fun community events such as a paella popular, a happy hour or a networking event.

While the Dems Abroad are proudly blue, their organization is committed to helping all expats register to vote, regardless of whether you intend to vote Democrat, Republican, or for a third-party candidate.

Interested in Helping Others Vote from Abroad?

If you’ve already requested your absentee ballot and are passionate about helping others make their voices heard, you can apply to become a VAO, or Voting Assistance Officer. Training is available online, as are other resources and printable FAQ sheets. 

You can also join a volunteer organization such as Democrats Abroad, Republicans Overseas, or simply send some of the other links included in this article to your American expat friends or post them on social media. 

*Some states use geo-blocking to make sure that their voter information can’t be accessed by servers located outside the U.S. These firewalls are intended to protect their citizen’s security from bad actors, but they can be an annoying hurdle for expats trying to access information from overseas. If you try to go to your state’s voter information page and receive an error result, you may also try accessing it with a VPN. 

**Be aware that changing the state that you legally reside in could come with new tax implications. The information contained within this article is meant to be informative, and is not to be taken as a substitute for legal counsel.