Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee, Virgin Islands, Washington State
Overseas voters can participate in the 2018 Democratic Primary Elections and impact the ideological direction of the party through the nomination of candidates.
Thursday, August 2 – Tennessee Primary; Saturday, August 4 – Virgin Islands Territory Primary; Tuesday, August 7 – Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington State Primaries.
What is on the Primary Ballot
Kansas — Federal office candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives. Statewide office candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State and Kansas House of Representatives. Kansas has a Republican state government trifecta since 2010.
Michigan — Federal office candidates for U.S. Senate (incumbent Democrat Debbie Stabenow) and U.S. House of Representatives. Statewide office candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State and Michigan legislature. Michigan has a Republican state government trifecta since 2010.
Missouri — Missouri uses an open primary system. Federal office candidates for U.S. Senate (incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill) and U.S. House of Representatives. Statewide office candidates for Missouri legislature. Missouri has a Republican state government trifecta since 2016.
Tennessee — Tennessee uses an open primary system. Federal office candidates for U.S. Senate (incumbent Republican Bob Corker is not seeking re-election) and U.S. House. Statewide office candidates for Governor and Tennessee legislature. Tennessee has a Republican state government trifecta since 2016.
Virgin Islands — Federal nonvoting Congressional Representative. Statewide office candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, the Virgin Islands Legislature and some of the Board of Education and the Board of Elections.
Washington — Washington State uses a top-two primary election. Federal office candidates for U.S. Senate and U.S. House. Statewide office candidates for Washington legislature. Washington has a Democratic state government trifecta since 2016 rated vulnerable.
Open primary – an election in which registered voters need not be members of a party to vote for the party's nominee.
Top-two primary – an election in which the top two vote-getters, regardless of their partisan affiliations, advance to the general election. Consequently, it is possible for two candidates belonging to the same political party to win in a top-two primary and face off in the general election.
Trifecta – when one political party holds the governorship, a majority in the state senate, and a majority in the state house in a state's government.
Questions about the primary?
Take a look at our Primary Elections FAQ.
Find dates of other 2018 Primary Elections.
Request your Absentee Ballot to vote in the Primary Election
Overseas voters need to submit the Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) to request a ballot after January 1, 2018 to be guaranteed to receive ballots this year. Submit the FPCA now to vote in your state's primary, but also to be sure you are on the rolls to get an absentee ballot for every election in 2018, including the general election in November.
First-time voters may simultaneously register to vote and request a ballot using the FPCA if the form is submitted according to the voter registration deadline. All other voters must submit the FPCA by the ballot request deadline.
To vote in primary elections, you must enter the name of the party ballot you want to receive on the FPCA.
- Go to www.votefromabroad.org to complete the Ballot Request form (FPCA).
- Print and Sign the form.
- Send the signed FPCA to your election official. You may EMAIL, FAX or MAIL your FPCA (except where indicated)
- When you receive your ballot, vote right away and send it back to your election official by the deadline.
| Kansas | ||
| Voter Registration | (BY EMAIL, FAX) received by or (BY MAIL) postmarked by Tuesday, July 17 | |
| Ballot Request | sent by Tuesday, August 7 | |
| Return Ballot | received by Tuesday, August 7 | |
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| Michigan | ||
| Voter Registration | received by Tuesday, August 7 | |
| Ballot Request | received by Saturday, August 4, 2pm local time | |
| Return Ballot | received by Tuesday, August 7 (MUST MAIL) ⚠️ MAIL early enough to account for mail transit time. |
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| Missouri | ||
| Voter Registration | postmarked by Wednesday, July 11 (mail or online using Missouri's Military and Overseas Voting Access Portal) | |
| Ballot Request | received by Friday, August 3, 5pm CDT | |
| Return Ballot | postmarked by Tuesday, August 7 (and received by Friday, August 10, noon, Only 3 days later!) (MUST MAIL) ⚠️ MAIL early enough to account for mail transit time. |
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| Tennessee | ||
| Voter Registration | received by Thursday, July 26 | |
| Ballot Request | received by Thursday, July 26 | |
| Return Ballot | received by Thursday, August 2, 8pm local time (MUST MAIL) ⚠️ MAIL early enough to account for mail transit time. |
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| Virgin Islands | ||
| Voter Registration | received by Thursday, July 5 | |
| Ballot Request | received by Saturday, August 4 | |
| Return Ballot | received by Tuesday, August 14 | |
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| Washington | ||
| Voter Registration | received by Tuesday, August 7, 8pm PDT | |
| Ballot Request | Not Required | |
| Return Ballot |
(BY EMAIL, FAX) received by or (BY MAIL) postmarked by Tuesday, August 7, 8pm PDT (and received by Monday, August 20) ⚠️ MAIL early enough to account for mail transit time. |
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Vote with the FWAB
Don’t have your ballot yet? Absentee voting has begun: the Virgin Islands sent ballots to overseas voters by by June 20. The August 7 State Primaries will send ballots by June 23 to voters with valid requests. You can vote today using the backup ballot called the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB).
- Complete the FWAB and send it to your election official.
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Michigan, Missouri and Tennessee voters: follow FWAB by Mail Instructions... Mail your ballot early enough to account for delivery times from your location.
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Michigan, Missouri and Tennessee voters: follow FWAB by Mail Instructions... Mail your ballot early enough to account for delivery times from your location.
- If you haven't requested a ballot, or if it was never received
- Kansas voters: You still need to send the FPCA form before the request deadline AND before or with the FWAB.
- Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee, Virgin Islands and Washington voters: You can use the FWAB for Voter Registration or Ballot Request as long as the FWAB is received by the Registration/Request deadline.
- Tennessee voters: FWAB requires complete Social Security Number.
Note: Because the legal requirements to establish "residence" or "domicile" for tax purposes are determined by state law and the specific facts of your life, it is important that you seek advice on these matters from your tax professional. Even if registering to vote in state and local elections is not sufficient on its own to make you liable for state taxes, other factors such as maintaining a state driver's license or maintaining a mail forwarding address at a relative's home may make you liable for state taxes.