Register to Vote From Abroad in Upcoming US Elections DemocratsAbroad.org
go to original June 2, 2022

These are the questions we hear most as we help overseas voters register, request, and return their ballots.

Also, please check the schedule for live one-to-one voter assistance via Zoom. For upcoming dates and times, please click the link: Global Voter Assistance (Live via Zoom).

I live outside the US. Am I eligible to vote in US elections?

Yes! US citizens living (or working or traveling) outside the US have the right to vote in US elections as overseas voters. You must meet the same eligibility requirements as other US voters, such as being 18 years old by the general election, but it doesn’t matter how long you've lived outside the US or if you were registered to vote before you left.

All overseas voters are eligible to vote in federal elections, that is, for President, US Senate, and US House of Representatives. Federal elections take place every two (2) years. Overseas voters may vote in the primary as well as the general election and in any special federal elections that may be required outside of the regularly scheduled elections.

Some overseas voters are also eligible to vote in state and local elections (such as Governor, State Representative, State Senator, or Mayor).

VoteFromAbroad (VFA) will assist you in filling out and submitting your Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to your Local Election Official in the US. After your FPCA is accepted, you'll receive a ballot covering every race in which you are eligible to vote for the remainder of the calendar year.

Can I vote in the midterm elections as an overseas voter?

Yes. US citizens living (or working or traveling) outside the US have the right to vote in US Federal elections. The midterm elections are federal elections that occur every two years and include all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives along with one-third of the US Senate seats.

Can I vote in the primary elections as an overseas voter?

Yes, overseas voters may vote in the primaries! US citizens living (or working or traveling) outside the US can submit a one-page form, the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), to register to vote and request their ballot. VoteFromAbroad (VFA) will assist you in filling out and submitting your FPCA to your Local Election Official in the US.

After your FPCA is accepted, your state will send you a ballot for every election you are eligible to vote in for the remainder of the calendar year, including any primary, general, or special elections.

Should I bother to vote? Will my overseas ballot be counted?

Yes, your overseas ballot will absolutely be counted! States must count every valid ballot received before the election result may be certified. When you see a race “called” for a candidate shortly after the close of polls, that’s a provisional assessment that the remaining outstanding ballots are not numerically sufficient to alter the outcome. However, the actual outcome cannot be certified until all ballots have been tallied — including ballots from overseas voters!

You can register to vote using the free online tools at Vote.org

Read the rest at DemocratsAbroad.org

Related: Polls Suggest Morena Party Will Win 4 of 6 States in Sunday’s Mexico Elections (Mexico News Daily)

  Learn about Vote From Abroad

  Learn about Democrats Abroad Mexico

  Learn about Vote.org

  Learn about Overseas Vote Foundation (OVF)