Voting Information For U.S. Citizens Abroad:
Americans Can Vote
Wherever They Are
For most U.S. citizens, exercising
their right to vote is
their principal means of participating
in the American democratic
process. This is true
for Americans who live in the United
States and the more than 9 million U.S.
citizens who reside abroad.
The Federal Voting Assistance Program
works to ensure that Americans
living overseas are aware of their right
to vote and have the tools and resources
to successfully do so from anywhere in
the world.
Your Vote Counts
Over the last decade, the number of overseas
U.S. citizens who cast ballots in U.S.
elections has steadily increased to more
than 3 percent of total votes cast. Despite
public misconceptions, all states are
required to count every ballot as long
as it is valid and reaches local election
officials by the absentee ballot deadline.
Many elections for the U.S. House of
Representatives and the U.S. Senate are
decided by a margin smaller than the
number of ballots cast by absentee and
overseas voters.
Follow a few simple steps to make
sure that you can vote in the 2020 U.S.
elections:
1. Request Your Ballot
Complete a new Federal Post Card Application
(FPCA) at https://www.fvap.gov/
fpca. You should complete a new FPCA
after January 1, 2020 to ensure you receive
a ballot for every federal election
for which you are eligible throughout
the 2020 election cycle.
The completion of the FPCA allows
you to request absentee ballots for all
elections for federal offices (President,
U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives)
including primaries and special
elections. FPCA forms that are correctly
filled out and include a signature and
date are accepted by all local election
officials in all U.S. states and territories.
2. Receive and Complete Your Ballot
States are required to send out ballots
45 days before a regular election for
federal office and generally send out
ballots at least 30 days before primary
elections. Some states send ballots electronically
(by email, internet download,
or fax). For most states, you can confirm
your registration and ballot delivery
option by visiting the state’s election
website at https://www.fvap.gov/links.
3. Return Your Completed Ballot
Many states allow ballots to be returned
electronically but some do not. If your
state requires you to return paper voting
forms or ballots to local election
officials by mail, you can do so free of
charge by bringing your ballot to U.S.
Embassy Helsinki.
Simply place your ballot in the postage
paid return envelope provided with
your ballot and bring it to the Embassy.
If it’s more convenient, you can return
your FPCA or ballot to your local
election officials via international mail
or professional courier service at your
own expense.
Learn more at the Federal Voting
Assistance Program’s website https://
www.fvap.gov. In addition to guidance
on voting from abroad the website contains
a “Helpful Links” page with useful
resources and non-partisan information
that may aid in your research of candidates
and issues. If you have additional
questions about how to vote from overseas
you may also contact U.S. Embassy
Helsinki at VoteHELSINKI@state.gov.
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