Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia
Overseas voters can participate in the 2018 Democratic Primary Elections and impact the ideological direction of the party through the nomination of candidates.
What is on the Primary Ballot
- Ohio — Primary ballot has federal election candidates for U.S. Senate (incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown) and U.S. Representative; statewide election candidates for Governor (currently Republican John Kasich), Lieutenant Governor, Ohio Secretary of State, Attorney General, Ohio Supreme Court, Treasurer and Auditor of State, Ohio House and possibly Ohio State Senate. Ohio has an open primary. May 8 election includes a statewide vote on ballot measure Ohio Issue 1: Redistricting Procedures Amendment to create a bipartisan, public process for drawing congressional districts. learn more
- Ohio's 12th Congressional District — Special primary election to choose candidates for the August 7 Special Election.
- Indiana — Primary ballot has federal election candidates for U.S. Senate (incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly, currently the only Democrat to hold statewide office in Indiana), and U.S. House of Representative; statewide election* candidates for Indiana House of Representatives and possibly Indiana State Senate. Indiana has an open primary. Indiana has a Republican trifecta since 2017.
- North Carolina — Primary ballot lists federal election candidates for U.S. Representative; statewide election candidates for North Carolina State Senator and North Carolina Representative. North Carolina has a hybrid primary.
- West Virginia — Primary ballot includes federal election candidates for the U.S. Senate (incumbent Democrat Joe Manchin) and U.S. Representative; statewide races for West Virginia House of Delegates and possibly State Senate. West Virginia has a hybrid primary.
- Harrison and Monongalia County, WV voters may participate in a pilot program to use a mobile app to receive and return your primary election ballot. To participate, select "email/online" as your preferred method to receive the ballot. Your election official should be in touch with instructions.
*Overseas voters from Indiana who indicate they "intend to return" are eligible to vote in state and local elections and ballot measures.
Learn more about Ohio Issue 1:
- Ballotpedia: Ohio Issue 1, Congressional Redistricting Procedures Amendment
- League of Women’s Voters of Ohio: ISSUE 1/Redistricting
- Ohio Democratic Party: Endorsed Issues
- Ohio Secretary of State: Statewide Issue (PDF) full text and ballot language
Open primary – an election in which registered voters need not be members of a party to vote for the party's nominee.
Hybrid primary – Voters affiliated with a political party can vote in that party's primary, and unaffiliated voters may participate.
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.
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)
Indiana voters | Voter Registration | Received by Monday, April 30 |
Ballot Request |
Request blank ballot mail:
Received by Monday, April 30 by 11:59pm or |
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Request blank ballot by email or fax:
Received by Monday, May 7 by 12 noon |
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North Carolina voters | Voter Registration & Ballot Request |
Received by Monday, May 7 by 5pm |
Ohio voters | Voter Registration | Received by Monday, April 9 |
Ballot Request | Received by Saturday, May 5 by 12 noon | |
West Virginia voters | Voter Registration | (Must mail) Received by Tuesday, April 17 |
Ballot Request | Received by Wednesday, May 2 |
Return Voted Ballot
If you have received your official ballot, Vote now by marking the ballot and sending it back to your election official without delay!
Indiana voters |
Return ballot by Email or Fax:
Received by Tuesday, May 8 by 12 noon or
Return ballot by Mail:
Postmarked by Tuesday, May 8 (and received by Friday, May 18 by 12 noon) |
North Carolina voters |
Return ballot by Email/Online, Fax:
Received by Tuesday, May 8 by 7:30pm or
Return ballot by Mail:
Postmarked by Tuesday, May 8 (and received by Thursday, May 17 by 5pm) |
Ohio voters | (Must mail) Sent by Monday, May 7 (and received by Friday, May 18) |
West Virginia voters |
Return ballot by Email or Fax:
Received by Tuesday, May 8 by 7:30pm or
Return ballot by Mail:
Received by Friday, May 14
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Vote with the FWAB
Haven't received your ballot yet? Absentee voting has begun for the May 8 primaries: ballots were sent by March 24 to voters with valid requests on file.* With less than 30 days to the election, vote today using the backup ballot called the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB).
- Complete the FWAB and send it to your election official.
- Ohio voters: follow FWAB by Mail Intructions...
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Indiana, North Carolina and West Virginia voters: follow FWAB Instructions...
- If you haven't requested a ballot, or if it was never received,
- North Carolina, Ohio voters: If using the FWAB to for Voter Registratrion or as Ballot Request: The FWAB must be received by the Registration/Request deadline.
- Indiana, West Virginia voters: If you haven't requested a ballot, or if it was never received: You must complete the FPCA and submit it together with the FWAB
* 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.