Your State RulesFAQs

Frequently Asked Questions About Voting from Abroad


These are the questions we hear most as we help overseas voters register, request, and return their ballots. If you still have questions, please click on the red icon in the lower right to message our team or email us.

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  • + Voting From Abroad as a US Citizen
    •      1. I live outside the US. Am I eligible to vote in US elections?
    •      2. Can I vote in the midterm elections as an overseas voter?
    •      3. Can I vote in the primary elections as an overseas voter?
    •      4. Should I bother to vote? Will my overseas ballot be counted?
  • + How to Register and Vote From Abroad
    •      1. What is the process to vote as a US citizen living abroad?
    •      2. How do I register to vote or request a ballot as a US citizen living abroad?
    •      3. Why should I send in an FPCA form for overseas voters instead of the absentee ballot request form for in-state voters?
    •      4. Why should I send in the form to request my ballot every calendar year?
    •      5. I'm already a registered voter (or my state always sends my blank ballot). Why should I send in the FPCA form?
    •      6. How do I check if I am registered to vote and/or if my ballot request form was received?
  • + Filling Out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)
    •      1. Why should I use VoteFromAbroad.org rather than the paper form?
    •      2. What is my "US voting address"?
    •      3. Can I register to vote in another state?
    •      4. I can't remember my last US address. How do I find it?
    •      5. Can I register to vote if I've never lived in the US?
    •      6. What can I do if my state rejected my voter registration because I've never lived in the US?
    •      7. Should I choose "I intend to return" or "My intent to return is uncertain"?
    •      8. Should I get my ballot sent to me by "email/online" or "fax" or "mail"?
    •      9. Can I vote if I don't have a Social Security Number or a state ID card?
    •      10. Do I have to choose a political party?
    •      11. I filled out the form on VoteFromAbroad.org. Am I done?
  • + Getting Your Ballot
    •      1. What can I do to make sure I'll get my ballot?
    •      2. When should my ballot arrive?
    •      3. I haven't received my ballot yet, what should I do?
    •      4. I received my ballot by email but I'm having trouble downloading it.
    •      5. I received my ballot but I'm having trouble printing it.
  • + Returning Your FPCA or Ballot
    •      1. Should I use the option to return my ballot electronically (that is, by email, online upload, or fax)?
    •      2. How do I send in my ballot by email?
    •      3. How do I send in my ballot by "online upload"?
    •      4. How do I send In my ballot by fax?
    •      5. How do I send in my FPCA or Ballot by fax if I don't have access to a fax machine?
    •      6. I need to return my FPCA or Ballot by mail. What are my options?
    •      7. Do I need to use two (2) envelopes to return my ballot by mail?
    •      8. Do I have to pay for postage to return my ballot by mail?
    •      9. What can I do to make sure my ballot is counted?
    •      10. Can I fix or "cure" a problem with my ballot?
  • + Using the Backup Ballot (the FWAB)
    •      1. What is the Backup Ballot (or FWAB) and how do I use it?
    •      2. I haven't received my blank ballot yet. Should I use a Backup Ballot (the FWAB)?
  • + Federal and State Taxes
    •      1. If I register to vote in US elections, will that make the IRS come calling?
    •      2: If I register to vote in US Elections, will that make me liable for income tax in my voting state?
  • + State Elections
    •      1. Can I vote in state elections if I live outside the US?
    •      2. My state sends me a full ballot with both state and federal elections. Can I protect myself from state income tax liability if I only vote for the federal offices?
  • + Study Abroad
    •      1. How does voting in the US work?
    •      2. Is it too late to register to vote?
    •      3. I think I registered to vote before I travelled abroad. How can I check?
    •      4. I’ve never voted before. What do I need to do?
    •      5. If I send in the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) form, what happens when I return to the US?
    •      6. What happens if I forget to update my registration after I return to the US and I get an overseas ballot?
  • + Technical Issues
    •      1. How do I use a VPN to access US websites that are blocked from my location?
    •      2. How do I photograph my signature and add it to my FPCA form?
    •      3. If I use VoteFromAbroad.org's photo-signature tool, is that different than a "digital signature"?
    •      4. I downloaded my completed Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), how do I find it?
VoteFromAbroad.org helps U.S. citizens living abroad register to vote and request their absentee ballot. To vote as an absentee overseas voter, fill out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), submit it according to your state's guidelines, and receive your ballot by email or post.

Public Service provided by Democratic Party Committee Abroad (DemocratsAbroad.org).
This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

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