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Voting in U.S. Elections from Abroad

Voting in U.S. Elections from Abroad

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) is the official U.S. government website for overseas voters. They provide information on registering absentee for U.S. elections, as well as details of upcoming elections, registration dates and deadlines. The Department of State also maintains comprehensive information for U.S. citizens abroad who wish to vote in U.S. elections, which is available on their website.

To vote from abroad, you have to register to vote with local election officials in your state of legal (voting) residence, AND every year you have to request to receive absentee ballots. You can begin the registration process at the FVAP website.

If you’d like more information on the Federal Voting Assistance Program or need help with the absentee voting process, please visit FVAP.gov for live chat assistance; call FVAP at 1-800-438-VOTE or DSN at (425) 1584 (CONUS)/(312) 425-1584 (OCONUS); or email vote@fvap.gov. Service members: Remember, you also can contact your unit or installation voting assistance officers. And don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook at @DoDFVAP and follow @FVAP on Twitter.

Be an Active Voter by taking the necessary steps to vote in the 2022 U.S. elections and participating in Absentee Voting Week!

In some states voter registration and ballot request deadlines for the November 2022 are as early as October 5th.

Whether you are a first-time voter or have already received ballots and voted absentee in past elections, we recommend that you complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)   each year to ensure you are able to participate in elections as an overseas absentee voter.

If you have already completed a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)  in 2022 and requested electronic delivery of your ballot, you will be receiving your blank ballot or instructions for how to access your ballot soon if you have not already received it.  If you are not sure about the status of your absentee ballot request you should contact your local election officials  in the United States or check the status of your registration via your state’s voter registration verification website. 

You can get voting assistance from the embassy/consulate or drop off your completed voting forms and ballots, addressed to your local election officials, during the following hours:

At the Embassy in Wellington:  The drop box for completed forms and ballots is located by the main entrance and is accessible from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Voting assistance is not available in Wellington; please contact the Consulate in Auckland.

At the Consulate in Auckland:  The drop box for completed forms and ballots is located in the third-floor lobby and is accessible from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.  Please email VoteAuckland@state.gov for voting assistance.

Learn more about…

ABSENTEE VOTING WEEK IS OCTOBER 1-8, 2022 HERE

Last-Minute Voting

U.S. Embassies and Consulates are not polling stations – and you cannot attend on election day to cast your vote. We are here to answer your questions about voting from abroad, and assist with forwarding your voting materials to your local electoral office in the United States.

If you have registered to vote but not received your ballot 30 days before the election, or you haven’t registered but would still like to vote, please refer to your State-specific instructions and complete a FWAB if appropriate.

Further Questions?

If you have specific questions or need further assistance, you can contact FVAP by email at vote@fvap.gov. Alternatively, contact the U.S. Consulate at VoteAuckland@state.gov.

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