Traveling abroad, especially living abroad as a student, is an exciting time. It can feel very busy as you are settling into a new culture and probably taking a deeper dive into a new language. But there are ways to stay connected to home; this fall, you can also make voting abroad part of your big adventure!
Military service members, Peace Corps Volunteers and State Department staff are some of the many Americans who safely and securely vote in United States elections while living and serving in other countries. Voting abroad sounds intimidating — but, while it does require some planning, the process actually is quite simple.
I speak from experience, as I voted in a presidential election while I lived in Rome. I was pleasantly surprised at how satisfying and easy the process was!
This blog will walk you through the steps, so you are prepared for the upcoming election. The State Department’s Absentee Voting Information for U.S. Citizens Abroad website offers additional details and links, but I will distill the information for Texans wanting to vote abroad.
Step One: Verify Your Voter Registration
Deadline to register to vote as a Texas resident is October 7, 2024
If you are a Texas resident wanting to vote in the November 5 General Election, you must registered to vote 30 days in advance, so your voter registration request must be received by October 7, 2024.
Even if you are already registered to vote, you must register as an overseas voter by visiting the Texas Secretary of State’s Voter Registration webpage.
You can verify whether you are registered by visiting the Texas Secretary of State’s My Voter Portal website.
If you come from another state, please check the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s Voting Assistance Guide webpage to find your state’s voting rules and requirements.
Step Two: Request Your Ballot
Ballot request must be received by October 25, 2024
To vote abroad, you must request a ballot be sent to your location abroad. If possible, do this before you leave the U.S.
To get your ballot while you’re abroad, you’ll need to fill out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) form. If you’ve already registered as a Texas voter, filling out this form is the next step because it lets the local election office know that you will be abroad.
Overseas voters typically receive their ballots 45 days before the election, and that may not be enough time to return your ballot by mail and have it counted. That is OK; your vote will still count if you receive your ballot by email. Vote From Abroad shares additional considerations for those wanting to vote while abroad:
- If you’ve already received your ballot to vote by mail, you’ll still have to submit a request to vote from abroad using the FPCA form.
- If you don’t know the address of your accommodations before you leave, you can elect to receive your ballot by email. This way nothing will be mailed to you while you’re overseas.
Step Three: Return Your Ballot
Ballots must be postmarked by election day, November 5, 2024
Exercise your right to vote by carefully completing the ballot, following the instructions that come with it and returning the ballot as early as possible. Local election offices must receive absentee ballots from Texas voters no later than 7 days after the election (November 12, 2024).
For deadlines in other states, visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s Voting Assistance Guide webpage.
Remember: If you have not received your blank ballot 30 days before an election, use the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot located on the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s Voting Assistance Guide webpage.
Thank you for taking the time to make your voice heard!
This blog was contributed by Anne Saldivar, Peace Corps Campus Recruiter and RPCV Jordan 2010-2012/Information Systems Coordinator at Education Abroad.
Leave a Reply