Join our voter registration team—protect votes from abroad!

Democrats Abroad sets up Voter Registration events all over the world to help overseas voters makes sure they will get their ballots and VOTE!

Overseas voters need to send in their Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) form to request their ballot every calendar year in which they wish to vote. Our website, www.votefromabroad.org, makes it easy for overseas voters to fill in and submit their form.

To volunteer at a Democrats Abroad Voter Registration event near you, please contact your local chapter of Democrats Abroad. Go to: www.democratsabroad.org and click on "Countries" for contact information--or email us at: gotv@democratsabroad.org

These training materials will provide the background you'll need to volunteer at a voter registration event and help your friends, family, and other overseas voters register to vote and request their ballots. (For your convenience, the training materials are offered either in a training deck OR video format):

• Training Deck: Voter Registration: New Volunteers Training (Upd May 2020) [google Slides]
  
  
• Video: Voter Registration: New Volunteers Training (Nov 2019) [45 mins]
  Just hit "PLAY" to get the video started.
  Please IGNORE the card saying "There is no content to view at the moment, either because no content is shared, or because an unsupported media object is being shared."
  
  
• New! Training Deck: How To Use a FWAB (August 2020) [google Slides]
  

Questions about voter registration or volunteering? Send an email to the Voter Help Desk at: gotv@democratsabroad.org

Scroll down and click on the dates below to RSVP and get connection details and reminders.

Did you know every eligible American living abroad can vote in U.S. elections? 

Was the last place you or your parent lived in the US the state of Georgia?

If you are 18 on or before January 5th you are allowed to vote in the runoff election. 

Do you have questions about how to vote? Click the chat bubble at the bottom of this screen and we can help you find the answers. 

But we get it. Sometimes you just want to speak to live person. 

Join us Tuesday & Thursday (noon-4pm January 5th & 7th. All time are listed as U.S. Eastern time. Our volunteers and standing by LIVE on Zoom to help answers questions you have about voting from abroad and curing your ballot.

How is it done on Zoom? You'll come into the main room and be paired 1:1 with a volunteer into a breakout room to ensure privacy and that you can get all your questions answered. It couldn't be easier. 

More information: The easiest way to request your ballot is at VoteFromAbroad.org. It takes just a few minutes to complete and send in your form to the US state where you last lived. The website will guide you step by step. In most cases it’s pretty simple. But if you’re new to voting abroad, or if you haven’t done it in a while, you may have additional questions. That’s why we’ll be here every Sunday until election day to help.

If you can’t make the 'office hours', you can always email us at helpdesk@votefromabroad.org or send in your question through our online help bubble, and a volunteer will get back to you.

Here is a handy website to convert the time zone to yours wherever you are in the world.

Zoom Connection Details:

Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/91090344003
Meeting number: 910 9034 4003
PassWord: Vote2020

Tuesday & Thursday: Noon-4pm (U.S. Eastern)
January 5th and 7th

for Vacancies in the U.S. House

Maryland's 7th | Wisconsin's 7th | California's 25th | see Ballotpedia.org for US House Special Elections 2020 ➚

Make a NEW ballot request for 2020 — send your form as early as JAN 2, 2020.

1. Go to www.votefromabroad.org to complete* the Ballot Request form (FPCA).
   We recommend that you choose to receive your ballot by EMAIL or ONLINE to get it fastest.
2. Follow the instructions to attach your signature online, or print out the completed form to sign it.
3. Send the signed FPCA to your election official.
   To request an absentee ballot, registered voters can EMAIL, FAX or MAIL the FPCA.
   To register to vote:
     •  Maryland and Wisconsin voters must MAIL the form.
     •  California voters can MAIL or FAX the form or register online.

• After you send in your form, be sure to email or call your Local Election Official to verify they received it and will be sending a ballot to you. You can find contact information for your election official using the State Voting Guide on VoteFromAbroad.org or on the instructions printed with your completed form.
• If you use the FPCA to request a ballot, only one form submission is needed to cover all 2020 elections, including the November 3 general election.
• You can expect to receive your ballot 45 days before the election. Send your FPCA as early as January 2, 2020 to get all your ballots as soon as they are available. Mark your calendar: the November ballot will be sent to you by September 19.

If you have any questions while filling out the form on VoteFromAbroad.org, click the orange chat box button on the lower right corner of the screen to send a question to the Voter Help Desk or email gotv@democratsabroad.org.

Good news! Following an agreement by the member states at the Extraordinary Congress on 25 September 2019, the Trump Administration will allow the US to continue to participate in the Universal Postal Union (UPU). Please click on this link to see the Democrats Abroad Statement on the US remaining in UPU

While this is excellent news for the current elections, there is reason to be wary! The agreement allows the US (and other countries) to set their own postal rates starting 1 July 2020. If the US enacts higher rates, it could have a significant impact on mailing to and from the US.

To make sure you can successfully cast your ballot, please:

1. When you fill out your ballot request form on votefromabroad.org, be sure to indicate you choose to receive your ballot by "Email or online". (We highly recommend you do not choose "Mail"--don't risk your ballot being lost or delayed in the mail!)
   
   
2. Once you received your ballot, we recommend returning your ballot by email or fax if your state allows it.
   
   
3. If your state does not allow ballot return using email or fax, please vote and mail back your ballot as soon as possible.
   
   
4. Other options if you must mail back your ballot and postal mail isn't reliable or available in your country include (1) accessing the US Embassy/Consulate's diplomatic mail pouch (free but slow) and (2) private courier services (expensive but quick).
   It may also be possible to mail your ballot from within the US, but check with your Local Election Official first!

The US administration has tentative plans to withdraw from the Universal Postal Union (UPU) treaty mid-October 2019. Should that withdrawal happen, postal mail from abroad back to the US may experience delays and price increases. To make sure you can successfully cast your ballot in your state's elections this year we recommend the following steps:

1. Prepare and send in your ballot request form now to your local election office via votefromabroad.org.
   • When you fill in your request form, make sure you indicate you choose to receive your ballot by "Email or online".
   • Do not choose "Mail".
   
   Ballots for November 5 elections should be available on or around September 21.
   
   
2. If you have not received your ballot by September 22 reach out to your local election office to find out its status. Find election office contact information at https://www.votefromabroad.org/states.
   
   
3. Once you received your ballot, we recommend returning your ballot by email or fax if your state allows it.
   
   For those states that do not allow ballot return using email or fax, please vote and mail back your ballot immediately to avoid any disruption in mail service after October 17: 
   • Kentucky, New Jersey, or Virginia voters: vote immediately and postal mail the ballot back to your local election office this September.
     ➜ share with Kentucky voters  |  New Jersey voters  |  Virginia voters on Facebook
     
     
   • Mississippi voters should use email or fax to return your voted ballot.
     ➜ share with Mississippi voters on Facebook
     
     
   • Louisiana voters: contact your election office for permission to use fax to return your ballot.
     ➜ share with Louisiana voters on Facebook
     
     
   • If you email your ballot, ask for confirmation that your ballot has been received.

Is your vote dependent on the postal service?

Does your state accept elections materials using alternatives to postal mail, such as email, online upload, or fax? Or is postal mail mandated?

I.  States restricting transmission to postal mail for

II.  States offering electronic options (email, online access, fax) to

a.   Deliver Blank Ballot to Voter

Every state will send absentee ballot electronically to voters abroad if preference to receive voting materials by "Email or online" or "Fax" is indicated on Ballot Request form (FPCA).

b.   Return Voted Ballot 🗳

1. Alabama – return using online upload of ballot if choosing to received voting materials by "Email or online."
2. Alaska – return by fax if choosing to received voting materials by "Email or online" or "Fax."
3. Arizona
4. California – return by fax
5. Colorado – vote online at ballotreturn.sos.colorado.gov
6. Delaware
7. District of Columbia
8. Florida – return by fax
9. Hawaii
10. Indiana
11. Louisiana – return by fax with prior arrangement by LEO
12. Kansas
13. Maine
14. Massachusetts
15. Mississippi
16. Montana – vote online at www.vote4montana.us
17. Nebraska – return by email or fax with prior arrangement by LEO
18. Nevada
19. New Jersey – return by email or fax, but must mail marked ballot too
20. New Mexico
21. North Carolina
22. North Dakota
23. Oklahoma – return by fax
24. Oregon
25. Rhode Island – check with your election official to return by email or fax
26. South Carolina
27. Utah
28. Washington
29. West Virginia

Five states — Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia — will hold General Elections in November 2019 for state executive offices, state legislative offices or both.

Advice for voters on US plans to withdraw from the Universal Postal Union (UPU)

Download 2019 State Gubernatorial and Legislative Elections list (Google Doc)

What is on the Ballot in 2019?

• Kentucky — includes Governor, Lt. Gov, Attorney General and Secretary of State
  *All overseas voters, except those who have "never resided in the U.S.", may vote in KY state elections
  ➜ share on Facebook
  
  
• Louisiana — includes Governor, Lt. Gov, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Senate and State House
  *All overseas voters, except those who have "never resided in the U.S.", may vote in LA state elections
  ➜ share on Facebook
  
  
• The race for Governor (Democratic John Bel Edwards seeks re-election) and Secretary of State (Democrat Gwen Collins-Greenup) advance to General Election on Nov 16.
• Mississippi — includes Governor, Lt. Gov, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Senate and State House
• *All overseas voters, except those who have "never resided in the U.S.", may vote in MS state elections
  ➜ share on Facebook
  
  
• New Jersey — General Assembly
• *Overseas voters who indicate they "intend to return" may vote in NJ state elections
  ➜ share on Facebook
  
  
• Virginia — includes State Senate and State House
  *Overseas voters who indicate they "intend to return" may vote in VA state elections.
  In addition, VA overseas voters who indicate their "return is uncertain" may vote in VA state elections if they provide the name of an overseas employer for either the voter or the voter's spouse or the voter's parent (if the voter is a dependent)
  ➜ share on Facebook

Drafts of the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) and Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) forms are available for review and comment on the Federal Register until January 22 at regulations.gov.

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act -- also know as UOCAVA, the federal law that defines overseas voting -- requires that the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) review and accept public comment every three years on the two federal forms: the FPCA used to register to vote, request an absentee ballot and update contact information, and the FWAB  backup ballot if the voter doesn’t receive a requested ballot in time.

View and comment on the draft FPCA form: https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=DOD-2018-OS-0092

View and comment on the draft FWAB form: https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=DOD-2018-OS-0091

Georgia will hold a State Runoff Election on Tuesday, December 4 to elect the next state Secretary of State. Georgia holds runoffs when no candidate receives a majority of the vote in an election. We all saw Republican Secretary of State Kemp carry out his outrageous tactics of voter suppression while serving his term as Georgia's chief election official, undermining democracy to narrowly eke out a win to be the next Governor over Stacey Adams. Vote for Democrat John Barrow     in the Runoff and ensure Georgia's future elections are fair and every vote is counted!

Overseas voters can vote in the Runoff Election if you registered as "intend to return" and also requested a ballot for the General Election. You should have received a Statewide State Office Write-In Ballot (SWAB) with the absentee ballot for the General Election, or download the SWAB. Official ballots will be mailed to voters, but time is tight to mail your ballot back before the deadline, so vote now using the SWAB!

Georgia Runoff for Georgia Secretary of State: Tuesday, December 4

• Ballot Return: by mail only, postmarked by Tue, Dec 4 and received by Fri, Dec 7 to be counted

Please share this information on to any Georgia voters you know. Voters flipped #GA06 by electing Lucy McBath, and we can flip this office too. Democrats win when Democrats vote!

Send any questions to gotv@democratsabroad.org. And complete our 2018 Voter Survey about voting in the 2018 midterms to help make it easier to #votefromabroad.

SWAB Instructions for Georgia Overseas Voters

from http://sos.ga.gov/index.php/elections/ballot_selection

1. Write in the candidate's first and last name. 
2. To ensure secrecy, place your folded ballot into a plain envelope and seal.
3. Print and complete the required oath (PDF) statement. Place the completed oath and the sealed envelope into another outer envelope and seal. Write the words “Official Absentee Ballot” on the outer envelope. Failure to sign and return the oath will cause your SWAB to be rejected.
4. Return the SWAB by mail to your local county registrar. The SWAB will not be accepted if it is returned by fax or email. All ballots postmarked by the runoff date will be counted if received by the county office within three days of the runoff election.