Voting Assistance

Generally, all U.S. citizens 18 years or older who are residing outside of the United States during an election period are eligible to vote by absentee ballot in any election for federal office. 

You can vote by absentee ballot in federal elections held in the state in which you are registered or in which you were last registered to vote. If you were never registered, you can register and vote in the last state in which you resided. If you never resided in the United States, you can register and vote in the last state your parents resided in before your birth. 

You may apply for an absentee ballot by submitting a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to your city, town, county, or parish clerk in the US. The FPCA is accepted by all states and territories as either an application for registration form or as an application for an absentee ballot. 

Federal Post Card Applications are available without charge from the U.S. Embassy, American Citizen Services Branch, Mon. thru Fri., 7:30a.m. - 10:00 a.m. American Citizen Services can also provide information on voting regulations in your state and the address of voting registrars in your state. 

There are no provisions for voting or registration at U.S. Embassies.

However, Embassy consular officials will assist U.S. citizens in witnessing or notarizing FPCA forms (if required by your state). The Embassy can also serve as a mailing point where FPCA forms and other election materials may be mailed back to your local voting jurisdiction in the U.S. 

The US Embassy takes voter assistance very seriously. If you or anyone you know is having an event to register voters or encourage voting, please let us know. We will help in any way we can. 

Detailed information on absentee voting is available from the Federal Voting Assistance Program.