The Center for U.S. Voters Abroad Turnout Project is an effort jointly administered by the nonprofits The Center for US Voters Abroad Foundation, a 501c3, and The Center for US Voters Abroad, a 501c4. Our mission is to help Americans living or traveling abroad participate in US elections. We are funded by foundations and individual donors who share that goal.
Americans living abroad can request a ballot via an official government form, called the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). Our website will walk you through the process of filling out this form, then show you how to send it on to the correct local election official.
United States citizens over the age of 18 who will be abroad during an election–whether temporarily or permanently–are eligible to vote by absentee ballot. American citizens who were born abroad and have never resided in the U.S. are likely also eligible to vote, depending on the U.S. state where their parents last lived. Consult this Federal Voting Assistance Program list to review eligibility by state.
To request your ballot, you will need to indicate a “voting residence.” This should be the address of your last “domicile,” or the place you considered your permanent home in the U.S. before you moved abroad. Despite the similar terminology, registering to vote at a “voting residence” is not the same as claiming residency. For more information on choosing your voting address, refer to this Federal Voting Assistance Program guide.
