Many students are in Barcelona when national, statewide, or even local American elections are taking place. It is important to know how to make your voice heard from abroad!
Fortunately, the U.S. Government has made it easy to exercise your right to vote while in another country. By following the simple steps below, you can submit your vote via email, electronic uploading, or snail mail while in Barcelona. Oftentimes, this process is even easier than voting in person - no lines at the polling station and nobody to survey you as you leave the booth!
An FPCA is a request for an absentee ballot. You can find an FPCA online at FVAP.gov. You will need to indicate your home state - this is wherever your LEGAL ADDRESS is. This can be either where your hometown address or where you go to college, but you MAY NOT register in more than one state.
You will also need to indicate a MAILING ADDRESS WHILE ABROAD. Note - this MUST BE DIFFERENT from your home/U.S. address in order for you to receive an absentee ballot. For your mailing address, use your Barcelona address (formatted this way):
Street Name, Building Number, Floor-Door
Zip Code, Barcelona
Spain
Note that while the FPCA application asks for your mailing address in Barcelona, you will later be given the option to request that your ballot be sent via email, so you won't actually have to wait for the ballot to arrive via snail mail. (We highly recommend that you request your ballot via email, so that you won't need to deal with any international mail delays). Please note that only some states allow for email ballots - others require physical mail ballots.
After you have filled out the FPCA form online, you will print it and sign it and send it to the address listed on the form (this will vary by state). Be sure to SIGN THE FORM before you send it in, as it otherwise will not count.
On the final page of the process, you should see the upcoming elections and the deadline that you need to have submitted your FPCA by.
After you send the FPCA form to the address for your polling office, we strongly recommend that you email your Local Election Official to verify they received your form and will be sending you a ballot. You can find the contact information here.
If you requested your ballot via email, you should receive it at the email address you provided once polling becomes available for that particular election. Be sure to keep an eye on your inbox and check your Spam folder to make sure that your ballot doesn't end up there by mistake.
If you requested your ballot via snail mail, you should also receive the ballot at your address in Barcelona shortly after polling has opened. However, be sure to be mindful of the deadline for submitting your ballot. If you are nervous that you will not receive your ballot in time or that there are delays with the postal system, feel free to contact your Local Election Official or fill out an FWAB (often called the "BackUp Ballot" - see instructions in the FAQ below). You can find the contact information here.
You can choose to return your ballot via email, online upload, or snail mail. If your state allows for it, we highly recommend that you return the ballot by email or online upload in order to avoid delays with the postal system. (Click the links for further information and instructions on each one).
Most states and territories require you to register. Fill out an FPCA (instructions above) to register and request an absentee ballot at the same time.
No. Elections are run at the state level. You must communicate directly with your state to register, request a ballot, and vote. Some embassies and consulates will help you to fill out the FPCA, but they aren't polling places.
Election offices are required to send absentee ballots at least 45 days before a federal election. If you asked to receive your ballot via email, it should arrive right away. Mailed ballots will take longer depending on the postal system in the country where you're located.
If you don't receive an absentee ballot in time to return it to your state, you can use the FWAB (referred to as the "Backup Ballot") to vote for federal offices. If your official absentee ballot arrives after sending in the FWAB, fill out and send in the official ballot as well. Your state will count only one.
Contact your election office directly to confirm that your form was accepted.
Yes, you still have the right to vote in US elections as overseas voters! You must meet the same eligibility requirements as other US voters, such as being 18 years old by the general election. It’s easy to register to vote and request your ballot from overseas. You just need to send in the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).
Yes, you should send in a FPCA form. It ensures that you receive ballots for any elections you are entitled to vote in while being outside the U.S. It also has certain advantages, like requesting your ballot via email instead of postal mail.
You can go to VoteFromAbroad.org, select your state from the dropdown list, click "Election Information and Deadlines", and it will give you a list of the upcoming elections as well as the deadlines for requesting a ballot.
Go to FVAP.GOV for more information.
Call at 1-800-438-VOTE (8683)
Email: Vote@fvap.gov
Facebook.com/DoDFVAP
Twitter: @FVAP