States started sending ballots to overseas voters on September 21. The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) advised us to return our completed ballots by September 28. If you did so, great! If you have not voted – or even registered – it’s not too late if you take action now.
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 ().
Action for registered overseas voters
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. Click here for details on completing your ballot and here for information on other problems.
If your ballot has not reached you, get, complete and send to your local election official the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) right away. Don’t wait – do it now, and certainly if your ballot has not arrived by October 4. If your regular ballot arrives after you have sent in a FWAB, complete and return it, too, and let your local election official decide which one to count.
Action for other overseas Americans
If you have not yet registered/requested a ballot for the 2024 election in the USA, you can probably still vote if you act immediately.
The last day for voter registration is October 6 in 15 states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Deadlines for other states quickly follow. While some states allow voters to register on Election Day (November 5), overseas voters still have to get registration and ballot documents to their local election officials by the deadlines for their states.
Scroll down the FVAP homepage to find your state’s deadlines, and act accordingly. Seek help and advice on registration and voting from FVAP (at ) and the US Vote Foundation’s Voter Help Desk.
Your chances of voting shrink as the clock ticks. FVAP, the Foundation and FAWCO (at ) collect information on voter participation and problems after elections, but it’s much better to get help that enables you to vote this year, rather than in some future election. The sooner you take action, the better your chances of casting a valid ballot in 2024.