Voting From Abroad: How US Citizens Register, Get a Ballot and Send It Back

Moving abroad does not take away your right to vote in US federal elections. It does change how you do it. There is no polling place down the street, the ballot travels by email or international mail, and every deadline is set by the state you last lived in, not by where you live now.

The good news is that the system is standardized. A federal law, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), covers US citizens aged 18 or older who live outside the United States, along with military members and their families. The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), part of the Department of Defense, publishes the forms and a state-by-state guide. This article walks through how the pieces fit together.

This is general information, not legal advice. Your state's rules are the final word, and FVAP links to each of them.

The two forms that matter

There are two federal forms, and they do different jobs.

• The Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) registers you to vote and requests an absentee ballot at the same time. It can also update your contact details. It is accepted in every state.
• The Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) is a backup ballot. FVAP describes it as an emergency ballot for people who asked for a ballot but did not receive it from their state in time.

Step 1: send an FPCA every year

FVAP recommends sending a new FPCA every January and every time you move. One FPCA covers all federal elections in that calendar year, so you do not need a separate request for each primary or general election. Depending on your state, the ballot you receive may also include state and local races.

FVAP suggests sending the FPCA at least 90 days before the election you care about. Even close to a deadline, it encourages people to submit anyway, because state rules vary and you may still qualify for a ballot with federal offices only.

You can fill in the FPCA online through FVAP.gov, which walks you through your state's version of the instructions. Many states let you return it by email or fax, and some by mail only. The state guide on FVAP tells you which.

Your US voting address

The form asks for your US voting residence address. For overseas citizens, FVAP says this is usually the last place you lived in the United States before moving abroad. You do not need to have any current ties to that address. Someone else can live there now. Your election office only uses it to decide which jurisdiction you vote in and which ballot to send you, and it will not mail anything there.

If you cannot remember the exact address, FVAP suggests asking family, checking old records, or asking the election office for help. A tax return, an old rental agreement, or a past driver's license often has it.

Separately, you give your current address abroad and the way you want to receive your ballot: by email or online, or by mail. Email is usually far faster, because international mail can take weeks in either direction.

"I intend to return" versus "my return is uncertain"

The FPCA asks you to pick a classification. As an overseas citizen, you choose between saying you intend to return to the US and saying your return is uncertain. FVAP's FAQ is clear on one worry: choosing "return is uncertain" does not affect your citizenship.

The choice can affect what is on your ballot. Some states give citizens whose return is uncertain a ballot with federal offices only. Pennsylvania's 2026 guide, for example, says these voters may only vote in federal contests and have different deadlines. Read your state's page before you choose.

Does voting affect your taxes?

This is one of the most common questions, and FVAP answers it directly: you can vote for federal offices without a change to your tax status, but voting for non-federal offices may result in state and local taxation. It also notes there may be tax implications when you change your voting residence from one state to another, and recommends getting advice before doing that.

State rules on who counts as a resident for tax purposes are complicated and differ by state. If your former state is one that taxes residents aggressively, talk to a tax professional before you decide which races to vote in. For the federal filing side, see US taxes from abroad: filing basics.

When the ballot arrives

Election offices are required to send absentee ballots to overseas voters at least 45 days before a federal election. If you asked for email delivery, it should arrive right away once the state sends it. Then:

1. Read the instructions that come with the ballot. States differ on whether you can return it by email, fax, an online portal, or mail only.
2. Mark it, sign every envelope or declaration it asks you to sign, and keep a copy or a photo of the signed declaration if the state allows it.
3. Return it the way your state accepts, as early as you can.

If you mail it, check your embassy or consulate website. FVAP notes that many embassies and consulates accept voted ballots for postage-free return to the US through diplomatic mail, with their own hours and procedures. They are not polling places, and you cannot vote there, but they can help with the forms.

Many states let you track your ballot online. FVAP.gov links to each state's lookup tool, or you can contact your local election office.

Step 2, only if needed: the backup ballot

If you requested a ballot and it has not arrived in time to send back, use the FWAB. You can complete it on FVAP.gov, print it, sign it and return it. You will need a printer.

You write in your choices by candidate name or party. If your official ballot turns up after you have sent the FWAB, FVAP says you can still fill in and send the official ballot as well, and your state will count only one.

For overseas citizens the FWAB generally cannot be used to register or to request a ballot; it is for people who are already registered and asked for a ballot. The rules differ for military voters. Your state guide on FVAP spells out what your FWAB covers.

The 2026 general election: what this means now

The 2026 general election is on November 3, 2026. As of today, many registration and ballot request deadlines for overseas voters have already passed, and others are days away. Two examples from FVAP's 2026 guides show how much states vary:

• Wisconsin lists overseas citizen registration as postmarked by October 14, ballot requests received by 5 PM on October 29, and ballots returned by 8 PM on November 3.
• Pennsylvania lists different deadlines depending on whether an overseas citizen intends to return, with some ballots that are sent by November 2 counted if received by November 10.

If you are already registered and your ballot has not arrived, look at the FWAB now. If you are not registered, check your own state's page on FVAP today, because some states still accept requests close to the election.

A simple yearly routine

• In January: send a new FPCA, choosing email delivery.
• When you move: send another one with your new address and email.
• About 45 days before an election: watch your inbox and spam folder for the ballot.
• Two to three weeks before: if nothing has arrived, contact the election office, and be ready to use the FWAB.
• Keep your US contact options working. Election offices may email or call. A reliable email and a working way to receive messages make this much easier; see Keeping a US address, phone and two-factor working.

Keep a copy of your passport handy too. Some states may ask for proof of citizenship, which can be a copy of a passport or birth certificate. The documents to carry when you land checklist is a good place to keep track of where those copies live.

Common questions

Can I vote at the US embassy? No. Elections are run by the states. Embassies and consulates can help with the forms and often forward ballots postage-free, but they are not polling places.

Do I need a new FPCA if I already sent one last year? Yes. FVAP recommends a new FPCA every year and every time you move, since one covers the federal elections of a single calendar year.

What if I have no Social Security number or state ID? FVAP says to note that in the additional information section of the form.

Can I still vote if I sold my old home? Yes. Your voting address is used only to place you in the right jurisdiction. You do not need any current ties to it.