While Election Day is November 5, 2024 for domestic American voters, September is Election Month for overseas voters. September is the best time for us to carry out our plans to vote in the US national, state and local elections. Click here for details on why you need a plan and how to register/request a ballot if you have not already done so; time is running out for that task.
Carry out your plan to ensure that your vote is counted in the 2024 US elections.
- Receive and complete your ballot, carefully following the accompanying instructions.
- Return your completed, signed ballot as fast as possible.
Voting from overseas is like taking a test in school – you have to follow all the instructions to ensure that your ballot will be counted, as well as completing and returning your voted ballot as fast as you can.
The survival of US democracy is at stake in 2024. The United States of America needs all its citizens to vote. Questions? Contact FAWCO’s US Voting Committee ().
1. Receive and complete your ballot.
States are required to send out ballots 45 days before a regular election for federal office – that’s September 21, 2024. (North Carolina is dispatching absentee ballots on September 6.) Most states allow you to confirm your ballot delivery online; The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) provides links to many state elections sites, as does the US Vote Foundation.
As soon as it arrives, fill out your ballot right away, carefully following the instructions. Be sure that you:
- use the same signature on your ballot envelope that you used on your registration/request form; and
- include the date in the format requested.
Without your correct signature and the date, your ballot won't be counted.
Overseas voters need to send in their ballots much earlier than November 5. If your ballot does not arrive by September 28, 2024, 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, correctly vote and return it, too – your local election official will figure out which one to count.
2. Return your completed, signed ballot.
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. 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. To find out what deadlines your state has set and how it allows you to return your completed ballot, see FVAP’s Voter Assistance Guide and the US Vote Foundation’s State Voting Requirements & Information.
Note! The diplomatic pouch – which provides free mail service from embassies and consulates to a US sorting facility – may save you postage fees but does not necessarily save you any time. You will need to place your ballots in postage paid return envelopes or in envelopes bearing sufficient US postage in order for them to be delivered to the proper local election authorities. Mail sent by an embassy or consulate via diplomatic pouch can take up 2–4 weeks to reach its destination.
Getting help if you encounter problems
Report problems with registration or voting to FVAP (at ), the US Vote Foundation’s Voter Help Desk and FAWCO (at ) for help and advice. All three organizations collect information on voting experience after each election, but it’s much better to get help that enables you to vote this year, rather than in the next election.