Federal law requires states to send ballots to absentee voters 45 days before a regular election for federal office. For 2022 that date is September 24, less than 2 weeks away! Are you ready? Here’s what to do.
- Receive and complete your ballot, carefully following the instructions.
- Return your completed ballot, in the signed envelope, before your state’s deadline.
- Share FAWCO information and advice as widely as possible in your club and community.
With American democracy in danger, voting for candidates who will defend the Constitution is one of the best ways to serve your country. Candidates who deny the legitimacy of the 2020 election are running for key offices in many states. Find out more about them here and here. Send your questions to FAWCO's US Voting Committee ().
1. Receive and complete your ballot.
As soon as it arrives, fill out your ballot right away, carefully following the instructions included with it. While you don’t sign your ballot, to protect your privacy, remember to sign the ballot-return envelope, using the same signature as the one on your registration/ballot-request form. Your state won’t count the ballot if you forget!
If you requested electronic ballot delivery, you may well receive and be able to return your ballot before the end of September. This will leave maximum time for your ballot to reach your local election official and be accepted as valid. (If you made any errors in filling it out, quick return also enables your local election official to contact you about them, and you to fix them.)
If your ballot does not arrive by October 8, 2022, get a Federal Write-in Ballot (FWAB) from FVAP, and fill it out right away, carefully following the instructions. If your regular ballot arrives after you have sent in a FWAB, vote and return it, too – your local election official will figure out which one to count.
Most states allow you to confirm your ballot delivery online; FVAP provides links to many state elections sites.
2. Return your completed ballot, in the signed envelope, before your state’s deadline.
To be counted, your ballot must reach your local election official before the deadline set for your state. Some states allow you to return your completed ballot electronically; use that method if you can.
If your state requires you to return paper voting forms or ballots to local election officials by mail, you can do that through international mail, professional courier service or sometimes your consulate or embassy’s diplomatic pouch. FAWCO’s US Voting Committee recommends returning your ballot by registered mail – both more expensive and more secure than regular mail. We do not recommend using the diplomatic pouch because of the long delivery time – up to four weeks!
(The diplomatic pouch provides free mail service from embassies and consulates to a US sorting facility. You will need to place your ballot in a postage paid return envelope or in an envelope bearing sufficient US postage, in order for it to be delivered to the proper local election authorities. Note that mail sent by an embassy or consulate via diplomatic pouch can take up to four weeks to reach its destination.)
3. Share FAWCO information and advice as widely as possible in your club and community.
Share FAWCO’s information and advice as widely as possible in your club and community – by word of mouth, through dedicated events and through posts on your club website and/or FaceBook pages.
Researching the candidates and issues: online resources
Thanks to the Internet, researching candidates and issues – particularly each candidate’s stance on protecting American democracy – is easy and important. Candidates who deny the legitimacy of the 2020 election are running for key offices – including those that manage elections – in many states. Find out more about them, and the potential effects on future elections, from Bloomberg and the Brennan Center.
The FVAP links page offers helpful resources to aid your research of candidates and issues.
FAWCO regularly offers information, support and advice through the US Voting Committee () and on its website.