Categories: Expat Info

How to Vote from Abroad: 3 EASY Steps!

Whether you are a U.S. Citizen living overseas, or will simply be traveling on election day, here are the 3 easy steps for how to vote abraod!

I cannot emphasize enough how crucial it is that all of us travelers VOTE! The future of the Earth, World Peace, and the well-being of our fellow American’s depends on it! We need to get the racist, misogynistic, lying reality star OUT of the White House!

Donald Trump has done SO many things wrong, yet gets away with it because the office is currently run by people just like him! We NEED to change that!

So PLEASE! Take a few minutes to make sure you are registered to vote overseas! If it’s too late to get a mail in ballot sent to you, you can simply download one!

Here’s how to vote from abroad:

1. Go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program FVAP

Go to FVAP.gov which is the Federal Voting Assistance Program. It will help walk you through the rest of the process. Select “Request Your Ballot”.

2. Fill Out A FPCA to Vote from Abroad

This is an annoying step that I wish could just be done online, but you’ll need to actually print, sign, and mail the FPCA form in. This should technically be done at the beginning of the year since it takes forever.

Go through the application form answering all question accurately. At the end, it will fill all of your answers in on the FPCA form which you’ll need to print out and sign, then mail to your State’s voting office, which they will provide the address for.

3. Receive and Return Your Ballot

Once your state gets your FPCA, it will add you to the list of overseas voters. They will then send your absentee ballot to you 45 days before elections to the address you provided.

To return the ballot, you have a few options:

  • Local mail – If you have a reliable mail service to the United States, put your ballot in the mail with appropriate international postage. Make sure you sign the actual envelope as well.
  • U.S. Embassy Diplomatic Pouch – You or another person can drop off your ballot request (FPCA) or completed ballot at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for return to the United States. It must be addressed to your local election officials and have sufficient U.S. postage, or be in a postage-paid envelope. A postage-paid envelope is available on the FVAP website. Contact the U.S. embassy voting assistance officer or visit the embassy’s website for specific instructions.
  • Fax, Email, or Internet – Some states permit electronic transmission of completed ballots. Consult the Voting Assistance Guide for options in your state.
  • Express Courier Service – If time is short or local mail unreliable, you can use professional courier services such as FedEx, DHL, or UPS at your own expense. NOTE: FedEx does not deliver to P.O. boxes.

*If You Haven’t Signed Up or Received Your Ballot 30 Days Before the Election You Can Still Vote from Abroad:

Don’t worry, you can fill out a Federal Write in Absentee Ballot (FWAB)

You’ll need to fill out all of your information again, and then write in your votes. Then you’ll need to print it out and follow the directions carefully for how to fold it and place it in an envelope.

You can find the address for your local elections office here.

All ballots MUST be post marked by November 3! If you are running low on time, expedite the mail using FedEx or DHL!

Alyssa Ramos

Alyssa Ramos of @MyLifesATravelMovie is one of the original Solo Female Travel Blogger/influencers for 11+ years! She's been to 140+ Countries, all 7 Continents, 7 World Wonders, 7 Wonders of Nature, and has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and Everest Basecamp! Alyssa is also the original creator of Influencer-Hosted Group Trips, and hosts 4-5 adventures per year to unique, remote, and stereotypical "dangerous" places. Tap the Group Trips tab to learn more! After being fully nomadic for 8 years, she now owns an apartment in Tulum and lives part time in Italy with her fiance.

View Comments

  • This is some great valuable piece of information.. I had lot of confusion regarding voting this year.. thanks for solving..

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