Voters from these states, register to vote/request your absentee ballots now! FAWCO Clubs and Members, please publicize these elections and reach out to any voters from these states whom you know and encourage them to vote (if they can do so - see below for details.)
Special federal elections in Louisiana
Louisiana has a special federal primary election scheduled for March 20, 2021 for two empty seats in the US House of Representatives: in Congressional districts 2 and 5. LA-02 includes nearly all of New Orleans and stretches west and north to Baton Rouge. LA-05 includes rural northeastern Louisiana and much of central Louisiana, as well as the northern part of Louisiana's Florida parishes in southeast Louisiana, taking in Monroe, Alexandria, Opelousas, Amite and Bogalusa.
Louisiana voters who want to find out if you can vote in these elections, check whether your voting address is in either LA-02 or LA-05.
Deadlines
Voters in the two districts must:
- register to vote by February 17
- request a ballot (if registered) by March 19, 4:30pm
- return their ballots by March 20, 8pm
Regular state elections in New Jersey and Virginia
New Jersey and Virginia are holding regularly scheduled state elections, with primaries on June 8, 2021, and general elections on November 2, 2021. See Table 1 for deadlines.
Table 1. Deadlines for primaries in New Jersey and Virginia state elections
State |
Register to vote |
Request ballot (if registered) |
Return ballot |
New Jersey state primary, June 8 |
May 18 (request email ballot delivery) |
June 4, 5pm (request email ballot delivery) |
June 8, 8pm. |
Virginia state primary, June 8 |
May 17, 5pm |
May 28, 5pm |
Mailed by June 8, 7pm and received by June 11, 12 noon |
Who can vote?
Unlike the 2020 elections, not all overseas voters in these states are eligible to vote in these elections.
- Overseas voters who have never resided in the USA cannot vote in any of these upcoming elections.
- To vote in the Louisiana special federal elections, you must vote in either the 2nd or 5th Congressional District. Here’s how to check whether you do.
- For the state election in New Jersey, you can vote if you marked your ballot request form (FPCA) to show that you “intend to return” to the USA, and you cannot vote if you checked the box with “return uncertain.”
- For the state election in Virginia, you can vote if you marked your FPCA to show that you “intend to return” to the USA. If you checked “return uncertain”, you can vote in state elections if you give the name of an overseas employer for either you, your spouse or your parent (if you’re still a dependent) on your FPCA. But you cannot vote in state elections if you did not supply this information, or the decision not to return is within your control (e.g. you decided to retire abroad.)