This is a midterm election year — all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 of the 100 Senate seats, and 39 gubernatorial seats are up for grabs in November. U.S. citizens have the right to vote in primary and general elections, no matter where in the world they live! If you're a U.S. citizen, dual-national, or will be 18 on November 8, 2022, you have the right to vote from abroad in US elections — including in the November 2022 midterms!

As a U.S. citizen, you can register to vote from abroad while living, working, or traveling overseas by submitting one form — the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). It doesn't matter if you were registered to vote before you left the U.S., how long you’ve lived outside the U.S., or if you've never resided in the U.S. at all. You have the right to vote!

The U.S. State Department recommends, “all U.S. citizens living abroad complete and submit a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) annually, to ensure you remain on your state’s voter rolls and to ensure your local election office has your up-to-date contact information.” Vote From Abroad provides all the information, forms, and support help in one place to make voting easy!

📌  Please note that there is NO IN-PERSON VOTING in UAE for the November election! 📌

✭ ✭ ✭ In 2022, these States must mail in the ballot. Vote as soon as you get your ballot! Don't wait to return your ballot! ✭ ✭ ✭

 Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Go to www.votefromabroad.org/states for specific  details

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What's covered on this page: 

1. Registering to vote and requesting your ballot

2. Confirming your request has been accepted

3. Receiving your ballot

4. Oct 1 and the ballot hasn’t arrived? 

5. Voting your ballot

6. Returning your ballot

7. Checking twice to prevent mistakes

8. Confirming your ballot's arrival

9. What to do if you encounter difficulties

10. Getting your "I Voted from UAE" Stickers 

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1. Registering to vote and requesting your ballot for the 2022 midterm elections

The first step is to request your ballot, and if need be, register to vote from abroad. You should do this every election year to ensure you remain on your state’s overseas voter rolls and to ensure your local election office has your up-to-date contact information. It’s important to register as an absentee voter from abroad because the ballots of US citizens voting from abroad have special protections and are different from the standard absentee ballot. 

Go to votefromabroad.org to fill out your Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) absentee ballot request — it takes 5-10 minutes! If you're not registered to vote, the FPCA also serves as a voter registration form. Choose the option to receive ballots by email.

The second step is to submit the FPCA absentee ballot request form to your local election office in the United States. Most states allow you to submit your FPCA directly from votefromabroad.org without the need to print it out. But some states require that you submit your completed form by email attachment, fax, or postal mail. State deadlines and submission methods can be found here.

If you have any questions while filling out your request form, go to the Vote from Abroad FAQ section or type your question in the website's chatbox (red circle in the bottom right-hand corner of each screen). Or you can email us at [email protected] 

2. Confirming your request has been accepted  ✅

After submitting your FPCA absentee ballot request form, call or email your Local Election Official (LEO) to confirm they have received it and will be sending your ballot. Your LEO's contact information is listed in the instructions generated when you fill out your FPCA form at Vote from Abroad. You can also look up their contact info here. 

Most states provide a website where you can verify your voter status. To find your state's website, click here and scroll down to “Where Is My Ballot?"

3. Receiving your ballot 📬

Your overseas absentee ballot is not your standard absentee ballot back home! Thanks to the MOVE Act, all states must send FPCA-requested  absentee ballots to overseas voters no later than 45 days before a federal election — this year that’s September 24, 2022. 

And, if requested, all states must send overseas voters their ballot by email.

You don't need to wait for ballots to arrive on September 24. If you're worried your ballot won't arrive on time, send in a Backup Ballot NOW. The Backup Ballot (Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot or FWAB) is specifically for overseas voters who are concerned they won't receive their official ballot in time to return it by the deadline. All details about the Backup Ballot can be found here.

4. Your ballot hasn’t arrived? 📭

Check your spam folder. Still no ballot? Contact your local election official here and confirm they’ve sent your ballot to you. Go to votefromabroad.org if you need to send in a new FPCA absentee ballot request form.

If you haven’t received your ballot by October 1 and your state requires postal mail return, we recommend you send in a Backup Ballot to make sure your vote gets to your state in time. All details about the Backup Ballot can be found here.

5. Voting your ballot 🗳️

It’s easy to get informed about candidates, ballot initiatives, and judicial candidates and important to vote your ballot completely. State and local races are critical in 2022! 

The simplest way is to vote for Democrats straight down the ballot. Some elected positions do not list a party affiliation, like school boards, judges, and others. To determine who to vote for in those cases, you can do the following: 

• Google your county's local Democratic Party
• Go to the League of Women Voters personalized ballot service 
• Go to Ballotpedia - Example: google “Ballotpedia Arizona elections 2022”
• Google the candidate's name to find their campaign website

6. There are lots of ways to return your ballot! 

📌 Remember! Only use a mail service if you cannot return your ballot electronically 📌

Ballot return methods – by email, online, postal mail, fax – vary by state. Always return your ballot as quickly as possible, but especially if your state only allows postal mail return. Find your state's exact ballot return methods here.

If your state allows email, online upload or fax  for ballot return, please use these options as they’re not subject to delay! Here is more information on fax submission.

If your state requires postal mail return, see info below on options from UAE.

New Jersey Voters: Please note that New Jersey allows for email or fax returns, but requires that the ballot ALSO be sent by postal mail.

New York Voters: Here are instructions on How to fold the New York State General Election ballot.

➡ International Postal Service:  

If your state requires postal mail ballot return, one option is to use express international mail from the UAE Postal Service. Please remember mail service can be slow and send your ballot as soon as possible!

You should – and some states require you – to ask for a postmark or date stamp (Zeitstempel) to be placed on the outer envelope. Find out your state’s requirements here. 

➡ The U.S. Embassy/Consulate diplomatic pouch: The U.S. Consulate in UAE requests that ballots sent by the diplomatic post be dropped off no later than four weeks before the ballot due date. You will need to place your ballots in a U.S. postage paid return envelopes (usually provided with your ballot) or in envelopes bearing sufficient U.S. postage. You can download a free U.S. postage-paid return envelope template at FVAP.gov.

Please be aware that using the diplomatic pouch does not mean your ballot will arrive faster. It can take up to four weeks for the mail to reach its final destination. Use a Back-up Ballot to make the diplomatic pouch deadline if your regular ballot hasn’t arrived. Find out more here.

The U.S. Embassy address in Abu Dhabi is: 

Plot 38, Rabdan Street, Airport Road Embassies District, Sector W59-02 - Abu Dhabi

The U.S. Consulate address in Dubai is:

 8 Al Seef St - Umm Hurair 1 - Dubai 

Hours: Weekdays (Monday to Thursday) between 7:30am and 5pm, Friday: 7:30am and 11:30am (Closed U.S. and UAE holidays)

More information is on the website  

➡ Courier Service:

If your state requires postal mail ballot return, the quickest option is to use a courier service.

Even with expedited courier services though, ballots still take several days to get to the United States. Please send your ballot as soon as possible! Do not wait! You should – and some states require you – ask for a postmark or date stamp (Zeitstempel) to be placed on the outer envelope. Find out your state’s requirements here. We do not recommend booking or paying online with any courier service. You will not receive a postmark if you book or pay online.

DHL cannot send to a P.O. Box! Be sure to confirm a street address with your local election official if a P.O. Box is the return address on your ballot. 

Use USA20 for a 20% discount. More information and details are here:  https://www.simplydhl.com/at/usa2022

Please do not use an online booking service if your state requires a postmark to be on the outside envelope AND your ballot might arrive close to or after Nov 8! Find out your state’s requirements here.

📌 Remember! Only use a mail service if you cannot return your ballot electronically 📌

7. Checking twice to prevent mistakes 👀

When filling out and packaging your ballot, don't forget to review the instructions carefully. Don't let human error spoil your ballot!

Regardless of how you send in your ballot, remember that you – the voter – must be the one who places it “in the mail.” In some states, it is unlawful for any other person to handle your voted ballot, even if it is sealed. Unsure? Find out your state’s requirements here. 

8. Confirming your ballot's arrival at your local election office in the United States ✓✓

Once you've sent your ballot, follow up with your local election official to make sure that it arrived and will be counted. Please do not just assume that your ballot has made it! 

The easiest way to ensure your ballot has arrived is to go to "Track Your Ballot" on your state’s website. You can also look up your local election office's contact details here and contact them directly. They may be experiencing a high volume of calls, so you may need to be persistent to get through to someone.

9. Having trouble? Need help? 😕

We understand that the voting process to some states can be confusing — that's why we're here to help! Send us an email at  [email protected] or contact [email protected]

10. Get your "I Voted from UAE" sticker

Thank you for voting!  If you would like to print an “I Voted from UAE” sticker go here.

Celebrate the 4th of July with fellow Americans!

Join in celebrating American independence at a family-friendly brunch. Come to Chicago Meat Packers at The Pointe on the Palm - CMP Bar & Grill - Saturday, July 2nd from 11am - 3pm.

Register as spots are filling quickly. Make a payment to RSVP for the event using the following link: http://sevn.ly/xuONSZWW

Feel free to share this with friends. RSVPs to close on Thursday, June 30th.

Please join your fellow Democrats Abroad UAE members to meet (virtually) our slate of candidates nominated for the 2021-2023 Executive Committee term! 

Please join us for our 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) to take place 3:00 - 4:30 pm on Saturday April 24! In this year’s meeting we will be electing a new DA-UAE Executive Committee, to include the following leadership positions:

• Chair
• Vice-Chair
• Secretary
• Counsel 
• Treasurer
• At Large Members (2)
• DPCA Voting Representative

Please consider becoming a leader of the UAE chapter of Democrats Abroad! Democrats Abroad (DA) is the official Democratic Party arm for the millions of US citizens living outside the US. DA-UAE has an elected Executive Committee (ExCom) that directs the work of the organization. We are currently taking nominations for all ExCom positions, which are all two-year terms. You do not have to have prior experience to run for a position - we welcome new members and new ideas! 

We are now entering the most critical weeks in the most critical election of our lifetimes! This blog post contains important guidance to help make sure you successfully vote in this year’s election.

A reminder to to our Democrats Abroad (DA) UAE membership:

2020 is an absolutely critical year for all Americans! We will of course have our Presidential (and Senate/House) elections in November—in what likely will be the most consequential and important election in our lifetimes. Please do your part through two actions you can take NOW: 

Registering to vote: Make sure you're all set to vote in November by requesting your ballot today! Go to votefromabroad.org to get started (Americans abroad must request our ballots every calendar year we wish to vote in). There are close to 8 million US citizens living abroad, but only a fraction of our fellow Americans will actually vote. We can be the margin of victory in the upcoming election, if we can get to work and register our fellow expatriates! It will take you <10 min to do it. Please email us if you have any trouble ([email protected]).

Joining Democrats Abroad: Tell your American friends living abroad to join Democrats Abroad! Americans in the UAE can join the DA UAE country committee, but Americans in any country around the world can still join even if they don’t have a DA country committee. Joining Democrats Abroad will help ensure your friends have the information they need to be able to vote. Just tell them to go to https://www.democratsabroad.org/join to join. 

DA-UAE looks forward to working with you all to take back our country this year. Any questions or if you would like to get more involved, please reach out via email to [email protected].

Thank you!

--Ridah

Ridah Sabouni

Democrats Abroad, UAE Chapter Chair

Click to register to vote from abroad!

We want to wish our DA-UAE members a very Happy New Year! As you know very well, 2020 will be an absolutely critical year for all Americans. We will of course have our Presidential elections in November—in what likely will be the most consequential and important election in our lifetimes.

Fellow Democrats,

At our general meeting held on May 3, 2019, our new DA-UAE Executive Committee was elected to serve on the UAE country Executive Committee.

The American Business Council Dubai is hosting it's annual Memorial and Independence Day celebration with a special members only price for all Democrats Abroad UAE members.

Friday, 27 May, 2016

4 pm - 8 pm

The Meydan Gallery

There will be a BBQ dinner, DJ and dancing, games, prizes and a fireworks show.

Prizes Confirmed:
Airline tickets - hotel stays 
Spa treatments - brunches - dinners
Custom tailored suits and tuxedos
Annual newspaper subscriptions
and much more!!!

(Everyone walks away with a gift bag)

Book your tickets here (choosing "ABC member" for special pricing): http://abcdubai.olasoft.com/viewEvent.html?no_header=true&productId=9440