Absentee Voting Week is October 1-8, 2022.
Be an active voter by taking the necessary steps to vote in the 2022 U.S. elections and participating in Absentee Voting Week!
In some states voter registration and ballot request deadlines for the November 2022 are as early as October 5th. Whether you are a first-time voter or have already received ballots and voted absentee in past elections, we recommend that you complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) each year to ensure you are able to participate in elections as an overseas absentee voter.
If you have never voted while overseas before, it is not too late. The process is easy – just follow these steps:
1. Complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)
Whether you are a first-time voter or have voted absentee in past elections, we recommend that you complete an FPCA to receive your ballot this fall. It allows you to register to vote and request absentee ballots for all elections for federal offices (presidential and state primaries, run-off, special, and the November general elections) during the course of the year in which you submit the FPCA. Local election officials in all U.S. states and territories accept the FPCA.
The online voting assistant available at FVAP.gov is an easy way to complete the FPCA. It will ask you questions specific to your state and tell you if electronic ballot delivery is possible. No matter which state you vote in, we encourage you to ask your local election officials to deliver your blank ballots to you electronically (by email, internet download, or fax, depending on your state). Be sure to include your email address to take advantage of electronic delivery. The online voting assistant will generate a printable FPCA, which you can then print and sign.
2. Submit the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)
U.S. citizens may drop off FPCAs for mailing to the United States via diplomatic pouch by bringing them to the Embassy starting Monday, September 19. Ballots will be deposited personally in a drop box in the lobby and will not involve accessing the consular section.
You may also have a friend or family member drop off your FPCA at the embassy on your behalf, or you can send your FPCA directly to your local election officials via international mail or professional courier service at your own expense.
3. Receive Your Ballot
After submitting your FPCA, most states allow you to confirm your registration and ballot delivery selection online. States are now required to send out ballots 45 days before an election (September 24) for federal office(President, U.S. Senate, or U.S. House of Representatives) to any overseas U.S. citizen who has completed an FPCA.
4. Return Your Ballot
We recommend that if you plan to return your paper ballot to your election officials via the U.S. embassy you return your ballot to us by October 14 to account for transit times between overseas posts and local voting districts. If you wish to drop off your ballot or have someone drop it off for you, place it in a postage-paid envelope or an envelope bearing domestic U.S. postage addressed to your local election officialsand drop it off at the Embassy.
If there isn’t enough time to receive and send back your ballot before the election, use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). It is a backup ballot you can use if you don’t receive your ballot in a timely manner. If your official absentee ballot arrives after sending in the FWAB, fill out and send in the official ballot too. Only one will be counted.
After you send in your ballot, you can check if it was received by your election office.
If you have any questions about registering to vote overseas, please contact Prague’s Voting Assistance Office at VotePrague@state.gov.
