With election season approaching, I wanted to share a quick guide on how to vote while living overseas. The 2025 off-year election falls primarily on Tuesday, November 4, and while it’s not a presidential election year, there are still important races happening across the country, including gubernatorial and state legislative contests in a handful of states, as well as numerous mayoral and local elections.
As an Ohio voter, my local ballot includes several city-level races and tax levies that directly affect my community. To navigate the overseas voting process, I turned to the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), a reliable resource that helps U.S. citizens vote absentee while living abroad.
Absentee Voting Overview
Step 1: Register to Vote and Request Your Absentee Ballot
The Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) is FVAP’s recommended way to start the absentee voting process. It’s a standardized form accepted across all states and extends one’s eligibility to receive a ballot for all federal elections for at least one calendar year. The FPCA can also act as both a registration and absentee ballot request form.
Here’s how to get started:
- Fill out the FPCA, then print and sign it.
- Send your FPCA to your local election office. Each state has its own rules on how the form can be submitted. While some require mailing a hard copy, others accept it faxed or emailed.
My Experience
As an Ohio voter based in the UK, I printed and signed my FPCA, then emailed a copy of it to my county board of elections. In Ohio, you can either request a physical ballot (mailed to you) or a digital ballot (which you print, complete, and mail back yourself). I opted for a physical ballot and mailed it back after voting.
It was not immediately clear to me that I could take this path, so I called my county board of elections for clarification. As always, they were extremely helpful. I highly recommend contacting your board of elections with any questions about voting abroad.
FPCA Tips:
- Submit your FPCA early. Check your voter registration deadline for the next election based on your state. In General Elections, it’s best to send in the FPCA by August 1.
- Using the FPCA ensures your state will send your ballot to you at least 45 days before the election.
- Resubmit every year (in January) and anytime your address changes abroad.
Step 2: Fill Out and Return Your Ballot
Once your ballot arrives, generally by early October, vote and send back your ballot as soon as you receive it. Check the deadline for your ballot based on the state in which you vote. You can always contact your election office to ask about the status of your ballot request.
If Your Ballot Doesn’t Return in Time
Should there not be enough time to receive and send back your ballot before the election, you can also use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). The FWAB works like a backup ballot. If your official absentee ballot arrives after sending in the FWAB, you can fill out and send back the official ballot, too. Only one will be counted.
Track Your Ballot
Once you send in your ballot, you can check to see if it was received by your election office.
Additional Tools and Resources
TurboVote
I highly recommend signing up for TurboVote, a nonpartisan product from Democracy Works that provides:
- Personalized voting reminders
- Local ballot previews
- Election deadlines
- Absentee voting assistance
I’ve used TurboVotes since college (through Hopkins Votes, my undergraduate institution’s nonpartisan initiative that provides voter assistance and education to Johns Hopkins University students, faculty, staff, and the wider community). The TurboVote service helped me not only vote out of state during my years in college but has helped me stay on top of voting out-of-country, as well.
FVAP (Federal Voting Assistance Program)
You can sign up for election updates through FVAP, or contact them here.
You can also contact your embassy or consulate for support. While you cannot vote in-person at U.S. embassies, they can:
- Provide American citizens voting forms and information about absentee voting
- Mail voter registration, absentee ballot request forms, and voted ballots
- Advise voters on local mailing options and mail transit times
- Notarize or witness voting materials (if required by the state) free of charge
You can find contact information for embassies about voting here.
Final Thoughts
Voting from abroad can seem confusing at first, but with the right tools and preparation, it’s absolutely manageable. I strongly encourage reaching out to your local board of elections. They’re your best resource for understanding the specific steps required in your state.
Personally, signing up for election reminders and using resources like TurboVote and FVAP has made it easy to stay on top of my voting responsibilities, allowing me to continue my civic duty, even from overseas. I’d like to think that Catharine Macaulay, who championed liberty and the rights of people in her world, would be heartened to see us cast ballots from every corner of the globe.