Overseas Voting and Registering to Vote
Overseas citizens are eligible to participate in primary, run-off, and special elections that occur throughout the year, as well as the general elections in November.
We strongly encourage you to register to vote and/or request absentee ballots as early in the year as possible to ensure that you will receive all ballots for which you are eligible. Keep in mind that state and local governments are responsible for setting elections rules and procedures in the US, so requirements and deadlines can vary from state to state.
The following is the basic absentee voting process:
- You complete an application form (see below) and send it to local election officials in the U.S.
- The local official approves your request or contacts you for further information
- The local official sends you an absentee ballot
- You complete the ballot and send it back in time to meet your state's deadline. For more information click here.
The official US Government website for overseas absentee voting assistance is the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at http://www.fvap.gov/. It has a wealth of information about absentee voting, including the downloadable absentee ballot application, state-specific instructions for completing the form, links to state and local officials, and a downloadable emergency ballot.
To register to vote and to request an absentee ballot, download the Federal Post Card Application at http://www.fvap.gov/resources/media/fpca.pdf (pdf 82kb). You can also obtain this form from overseas American citizens groups or from the U.S. Embassy/Consulate. Fill it out and send it in, following the guidelines for your state. A postage-paid envelope template, valid if you are using the U.S. postal system, is available at http://www.fvap.gov/resources/media/returnenvelope.pdf (pdf 96kb).
Each state has different voting procedures. Information about your state's procedures is available at http://www.fvap.gov/reference/links.html. A calendar of election dates is available at http://www.fvap.gov/vao/calendar.html.
States sometimes make last-minute changes. There may be late changes to your state's voting calendar, procedures or deadlines. When these occur, the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) will issue a news release. news releases are available at http://www.fvap.gov/vao/vin.html.
An emergency ballot is available. If the ballot receipt deadline is approaching, and you have not yet received the blank ballot from local officials, you can download an emergency ballot, write in the names of the candidates and the offices for which they are running, and send it back in time to meet your state's ballot receipt deadline. The emergency ballot (SF-186, Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, or FWAB) is available on the Internet at http://www.fvap.gov/resources/media/fwab.pdf (pdf 140kb).
The Voting Assistance Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade is available to answer questions about absentee voting. To contact the Voting Assistance Officer, call +381-11-361-9344 or send an e-mail to belgradeasc@state.gov.
