Questions and Answers About Absentee Voting

1. Are you registered to vote?

If yes, please go to question 2.

If you are not registered to vote, you may register by filling out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), available at the Consulate or at http://www.fvap.gov. Please note that registration deadlines have already passed for several states

Some states allow for submission of your registration materials by fax or e-mail. This information is listed in the Voting Assistance Guide or at http://www.fvap.gov. You may bring your registration materials to the Consulate during regular business hours and we will mail or fax (if allowed by your state) them for you. No appointment is required.

If you have ever registered in the past, that registration should still be valid. For some states and counties, you can check your registration status online. The state websites are listed in the Voting Assistance Guide and on http://www.fvap.gov, and county voter registration office websites can be found through a search engine.

A few jurisdictions require voter registration materials to be notarized. These jurisdictions are American Samoa, Puerto Rico and Vermont (for first-time registrants only). If your registration materials require notarization, the Consulate can notarize your materials during regular business hours for no charge. No appointment is required.

2. Have you requested an absentee ballot?

If yes, please go to question 3.

If you are registered to vote but have not requested an absentee ballot, you may request your absentee ballot by filling out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), available at the Consulate or at http://www.fvap.gov. Different states have different deadlines for requesting absentee ballots.

Some states allow for submission of your absentee ballot request by fax or e-mail. This information is listed in the Voting Assistance Guide or at http://www.fvap.gov. You can also bring your absentee ballot request to the Consulate and we will mail or fax (if allowed by your state) it for you. No appointment is required.

A few jurisdictions require ballot requests to be notarized. These jurisdictions are American Samoa, Puerto Rico and Vermont (for first-time registrants only). If your ballot request requires notarization, the Consulate can notarize your request during regular business hours for no charge. No appointment is required.

3. Has that absentee ballot arrived?

If yes, please go to question 4.

If you have requested an absentee ballot but it has yet to arrive, you may wish to contact your county voter registration office to see when it was sent. Many counties with large overseas voter populations have specified individuals specifically responsible for overseas voters. The county voter registration office website can be found through a search engine. Please note that a few counties will also allow you obtain your ballot by downloading it directly from the county voter registration office website.

Some states also allow for transmission of the ballot to you by e-mail or fax, so, if you contact your county's voter registration office, you may wish to request that your ballot be sent to you in either electronic format in order to save time.

If you are concerned that your ballot may not arrive in time, you may complete the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). The FWAB is available at the Consulate and online at http://www.fvap.gov. This ballot only allows you to vote for president, senator and member of the House of Representatives and can only be completed if you have requested an absentee ballot. The FWAB will require a witness or notarization if required by your state. Please see question 4 below for more information.

4. Does your ballot require a witness or notarization?

If no, please go to question 5.

Note that these requirements apply to voters who use either the FWAB or the ballot received from your county.

If your ballot requires notarization, the Consulate can notarize your ballot during regular business hours for no charge. No appointment is required. The jurisdictions which require notarization of the ballot are Alabama (either notarized by one person or witnessed by two persons), Alaska (either notarized or witnessed by one person, but only if sent by mail), Guam, Minnesota (if you do not provide your U.S. passport number), Mississippi, and Puerto Rico.

If your ballot requires a witness or two witnesses, any U.S. citizen 18 years or older should be able to serve as a witness to your signature. The jurisdictions which require witnesses are Alabama (either notarized by one person or witnessed by two persons), Alaska (either notarized or witnessed by one person, if sent by mail), Louisiana (two witnesses), North Carolina (two witnesses), South Carolina (one witness), Virginia (one witness), and Wisconsin (one witness). Please consult the Voting Assistance Guide or http://www.fvap.gov for more information.

5. Is your ballot ready for mailing?

States have different requirements as to when the ballots must be received. Many require the ballots to be received on or before November 4. Some will accept the ballots after that date, usually only if the ballot is postmarked on or before November 4.

If your ballot is ready for mailing, you may bring it to the Consulate during regular business hours for mailing at no charge. No appointment is required. Alternatively, you may send it yourself. In cooperation with the Overseas Vote Foundation, FedEx provides free overnight mailing of ballots to the United States from Hong Kong and Macau. If you wish to take advantage of this service, please take your ballot to any FedEx World Service Centre. For more information, please see http://www.overseasvotefoundation.org.

Some states also allow for submission of the ballot by e-mail or fax. This information is listed in the Voting Assistance Guide or at http://www.fvap.gov. If you wish, the Consulate can fax the ballot for you if allowed by your state. You may come by the Consulate during regular business hours; no appointment is required.

Last modified: October 10, 2008