Guide on voting from abroad: US 2020 Presidential Elections
Put together by Claire Kim
For absentee ballots, deadlines for voter registration, ballot requests, and submitting ballots all vary so it is recommended that you register as soon as possible (keeping your State deadline in mind)
*You must have US citizenship and be 18 years or older on the election day. Voting rights vary by states but you can check for any further information with the link below for California’s eligibility requirements as an example:
!!! Ballots are recommended to be mailed by the end of this week
The whole process comes in two parts:
Part 1. Register to vote/ Request a ballot
Pick a state!
** Given you are currently outside of the states, you may never have resided in the US or even have any ties to a certain state. That is still okay! In that case, the following are the states which allow their citizens to vote absentees and each of their requirements. Pick one that is applicable to you. It is most likely that any state your parents or guardian last resided in would also be fine. (Please note that if you don’t meet the conditions for any of these listed, you may not be eligible to vote)
Absentee Ballot Requirement by State:
IMPORTANT: Take note of your State’s deadlines for voter registration, ballot request, and ballot submission following the link below (a lot of the registration deadlines end NEXT WEEK for the international voters!!)
https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter → This link will lead you to a site where you can see the map of all the states. Click on your state, scroll down and you will see a table of the ‘Federal Election Deadlines’ on the left of the site. Then take note of the deadlines.
After you’ve picked your state, fill out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).
This is a required form to officially register for voting. Below is the link to filling out the FPCA:
First, you need your state and your jurisdiction. (e.g. State= California Jurisdiction= Los Angeles)
Most of the registration should be pretty straightforward. You may need your social security number if you don’t possess an in-state identification (such as a driver’s license from that particular state). However, the voting residence part may be a problem for you, especially if you have never lived in the States. In that case, the FPCA still allows you to submit the place where you or your legal guardian/parents last domiciled as your ‘voting residence’.
This address would still be valid even if you no longer own the property, your intent to return to the state is uncertain, or your previous address is no longer a residential address.
** “Voting in an election for federal offices often may not be used as the sole basis of determining residency for the purpose of imposing state and local taxes.
If you cannot remember the address where you last physically resided, check old tax records, passports, or family correspondence. Sometimes election offices can help identify your address if you were previously registered. To claim a new legal residence or domicile, consult legal counsel as there may be other factors to consider, such as tax implications.”
After filling out all required fields (including your mailing address). You will also be able to indicate how you would like to receive your ballot in the “Ballot receipt section”. ( You can even choose to receive your ballot via email here!)
Review all the information on your FPCA, proceed to download the pdf file and print the document.
The printed form should be about 4 pages. Make sure to carefully read through all fields and fill out the third and fourth page by hand. When finished, sign the end of the form.
While the FPCA may be sent to the county officials via mail, fax, or email, if you are not already registered as a voter you will NEED to FAX OR MAIL the FPCA form directly to county officials.
Remember that only the third and fourth pages are to be sent. (Third sheet/transmission cover sheet needs to be included!)
The details on where to mail/fax should be sent to should be on the second page of the print out.
Print out one of the envelope formats and mail. Or you could fax to your election office.
Part 2. Receive and Complete Ballot
Your ballot may take a long time to be sent to you and in some cases, not sent on time. (Generally, the registration and request for a ballot should have been sent in by August 1 for overseas citizens but the official deadline is mid-October for most states. So prepare for this backup option.) In that case, remember that you still have the backup option of using the FWAB (The Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot). Link below:
Once you have received your ballot, fill it out as soon as possible and send it in to your election office. This can still be sent in if it is before the ballot submission deadline for your state, you can still send it in.
If your ballot has not arrived by October 13 (which is the recommended date to submit your ballot by), submit your FWAB (the back up option from the above link). → just to be safe!
You are allowed to submit both the FWAB and your official ballot if you receive your official ballot later. However, only one would be counted.
Once done, you can check back in with your election office to see if they have received your submission.
This is the link to the details of all election offices:
Some helpful links:
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