Register now to ensure you can vote in 2017

Celebrate International Women’s Day (March 8), or just your right to vote, by registering now to ensure you can vote in US elections taking place in 2017. The next national election will be in 2018 – when the whole House of Representatives and one third of the Senate is up for election – but several special federal elections, and many state and local elections, take place in 2017. If you can take part in them, be sure you are registered to vote as soon as possible. 

Remember that the law requires overseas voters to register afresh in every year in which they wish to vote. To get instructions and fill out the form, go to:

• FAWCO (https://fawco.overseasvotefoundation.org/vote/home.htm); 
• FAWCO’s partner, the U.S. Vote Foundation (formerly the Overseas Vote Foundation – https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/vote/home.htm); or
• the Federal Voting Assistance Program (https://www.fvap.gov).

Special congressional elections

All registered overseas voters who vote in these districts can take part in the following special elections to Congress. If you can participate, register soon, as the Georgia and Kansas election are early in April and registration deadlines are looming. 

The State of California will conduct a special primary election on Tuesday, April 4, 2017, for the 34th Congressional District, to replace Xavier Becerra who was confirmed as Attorney General of California. This district consists of part of Los Angeles County. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a special general election will be held on June 6.

The State of Kansas will conduct a special election on Tuesday, April 11, 2017, for the 4th Congressional District, to replace Mike Pompeo who resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives when he was sworn in as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.  This district consists of all or part of Barber, Butler, Chautauqua, Comanche, Cowley, Edwards, Elk, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Kiowa, Pawnee, Pratt, Sedgwick, Stafford and Sumner counties.

The State of Georgia will conduct a special election on Tuesday, April 18, 2017, for the 6th Congressional District, to replace Tom Price who was confirmed as the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary. This district consists of parts of northern Atlanta and parts of surrounding counties such as Cobb, Fulton, and Dekalb.

The State of South Carolina will conduct a special election on June 20, 2017, for the 5th Congressional District, which consists of Cherokee, Chester, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lee, Newberry, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union and York counties.

Statewide and local elections

Overseas voters can take part in state and local-level elections only if (a) state law permits and (b) they say on the registration form that they intend to return to the state. If they do not intend to return or if their return is uncertain, they can vote only in federal elections. Stating an intent to return and voting in state and local elections can also make overseas voters vulnerable to state taxes.

State elections 

Elections will be held for state governments of New Jersey and Virginia in 2017, and for the State Supreme Court in Pennsylvania. Primaries start in March and April and the general elections take place on November 7.

Local elections

Local elections – for county executives, mayors and city councils – will take place in the cities and counties shown in the table, and in others. See the US Vote Foundation website for further details and elections.