California has major elections in 2026 — Governor, U.S. Senate, all U.S. House seats, plus key state and local races. And since Prop 50, every California congressional district has the opportunity to elect a Democratic representative. Your vote from abroad truly matters. Now is the time to make sure you’re set up to receive your 2026 ballot in the fastest, most reliable way. All California voters can vote in all elections regardless of intent to return.
Here’s what you need to know:
If you’re registered in California, your ballot will be sent to you — but how you’re classified matters.
- If you are not registered as a UOCAVA voter (an “overseas voter”), California will mail your ballot to you 30 days before the election, and mail return is your only option.
- US Postal mail can be slow and unpredictable, and many ballots arrive too late to be counted.
The better option: Make sure you’re registered as an “overseas voter.”
When you have an FPCA (Federal Post Card Application) on file:
- You receive your ballot by email.
- Your election office must issue your ballot a minimum of 45 days before the election, instead of 30 days before the election.
- And you can return it by fax, which is much faster and more reliable than postal mail. If you don’t have a fax machine, you can still send a fax. More information here.
This is the most secure way to ensure your vote is counted.
The easiest way to become (or confirm you are) an overseas voter is to submit an FPCA.
Request your 2026 ballot and update your status here.
Ask for your ballot to be sent by email.
Requesting early ensures you’re eligible to vote in your state’s primaries and fully prepared for the general election in November. Overseas voters must renew their request every calendar year, so even if you voted in 2024 or 2025, you must request again for 2026. Learn more about the laws governing overseas voting here.
***Bonus: If you request early, we don’t have to keep contacting you about requesting a ballot. 😊
If you need help at any point — whether it’s navigating your state’s rules, filling out your form/uploading your form, or confirming your registration — support is available:
If you don’t need to take any action, you're already registered as an overseas voter. Click this button.
That way, we won’t have to keep contacting you about requesting a ballot. 😊