Public Services

Voter Registration

Our system of government depends on the active participation of our citizens in the electoral process. It is not only the right of American citizens to vote, it is their duty to do so. Being overseas certainly does not relieve us of this civic duty but it does make it more difficult. While our friends back home can cast their vote between errands or on the way to work, we must deal with absentee ballot requests and mailing times back to our various states of residence.

You can vote by absentee ballot, even if you were never registered, from your "legal state of residence. For voting purposes this is the state where you last resided immediately prior to your departure from the U.S. If you never resided in the United States, you can register and vote in the last state your parents resided in before your birth.

Unfortunately, every Election Day, we do have citizens coming to our office looking for a voting machine. We cannot provide that service. Oversight of elections is reserved to the several states and the Federal government is not involved. However, there are several things we at the Embassy can do to help citizens vote in the elections held by their home states.

. We have information about requesting absentee ballots from each of the fifty states. Remember that every citizen has a right to vote for Federal offices (President, Vice President, Senator, and Congressman.) Many states have liberal laws about letting overseas residents vote in state and local elections, too. To receive this information, send a request to our offices. Provide your mailing address and specify the state in which you will be voting. We will mail you the necessary materials to register (if you haven’t already) and to request the absentee ballot.
 

· If your particular state requires that the registration or ballot be signed under oath, the Office of American Citizen Services can witness your signature at no charge. Click here for opening hours.

· If your request for a ballot is received by local election officials at least 30 days in advance of the election but it does not arrive in time to complete it and mail back, we can provide an emergency write-in ballot for you to get your vote in to be counted.

You may also obtain guidance directly from the Federal Voter Assistance Program at their website: www.fvap.gov