Overview
Your vote matters!
Overseas voting is a three-step process:
- Register to vote,
- Receive an absentee ballot,
- Then, send your ballot to your County Board of Elections.
Can You Vote Absentee?
In order to vote absentee in U.S. elections you must be:
- a U.S. citizen.
- at least 18 years old.
- absent from your voting residence.
Register to Vote
First Time Voters – Start the process online
Go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) website to directly register with your state.
- Most states require voters to register at least 45 days before an election. Don’t miss out!
- Are you a U.S. citizen who has never lived in the United States? Click here to see if you can register to vote.
Repeat Voters:
To ensure you continue to receive absentee ballots during your time away from your voting residence, be sure to submit a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) every January or each time you change your address. We recommend that voters register at least 90 days before the election you want to vote in.
Receive Your Ballot
County Boards of Elections begin distributing official absentee ballots to registered voters 45 days before an election, and each state has individual postmark and receipt deadlines. If you are voting for the President or members of the U.S. House of Representatives and/or the U.S. Senate, and your official ballot does not arrive at your overseas address, registered voters may download and complete a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB).
Send Your Ballot
FVAP encourages overseas U.S. citizens to take these individual actions:
- Register and request your ballot through FVAP.gov: Use the online Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) at FVAP.gov to simultaneously register and request an absentee ballot.
- Consider asking that your ballot be sent to you electronically: Voters should select an electronic option for receiving their blank ballot from their election official. Not all states and counties allow electronic receipt of blank ballots; check FVAP.gov or ask your state voting office if this is an option for you.
- Consider state ballot submission alternatives: Refer to your state’s instructions on FVAP.gov for ways to return your completed ballot. Most states allow voters to submit ballots online.
Voters who have questions about overseas voting should contact VoteJerusalem@state.gov or VoteTelAviv@state.gov.
Voters are strongly encouraged to submit ballots directly to their home states via email or fax where possible. Where mail-in ballots are the only option, please consider using a courier service to send your ballot directly to your home state to be counted. Learn more about your state’s voting regulations at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s website (https://www.fvap.gov/).
As a last resort, eligible voters are permitted to drop off ballots without an appointment at the American Citizen Services Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem or Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv. Ballots can be dropped off at the drop box at American Citizen Services Unit at the U.S. Embassy Jerusalem from 8:00AM-2:00PM Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or at the Embassy Branch Office Tel Aviv from 8:00AM-2:00PM on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. No appointment is necessary.
Please note that it can take up to four weeks for mail to reach its destination if sent by diplomatic pouch. The diplomatic pouch leaves weekly on Tuesday mornings. Ballots should be dropped off no later than Monday to be included in the weekly pouch shipment.