Voting

Citizens of the United States who are over 18 years old and living abroad can vote absentee in elections for Federal office. The rules and regulations governing your right to vote absentee while living abroad can be found in the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). The government organization in charge of carrying out this act is the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), which is run by the Department of Defense. To find out more about the FVAP and the UOCAVA please see the FVAP website at http://www.fvap.gov.

What Elections Can I Vote In?

U.S. citizens over 18 who are living outside of the US can vote absentee in elections for Federal Office. Elections for Federal Office, as described by FVAP is

“An election for Federal office is any general, special, runoff or primary election held solely or in part for the purpose of selecting, nominating, or electing any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the United States Senate, Member of the United States House of Representatives, Delegates from the District of Columbia, Guam, Virgin Islands, and the American Samoa, and Resident Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.”

What State Can I Vote In?

Your legal state of residence for voting purposes only is the state where you lived prior to leaving the United States. Even if you do not have property, family, or other ties to that state, you still hold that right.

Voting in elections for Federal Office only does not affect the governments determination of residence or domicile in regards your Federal, state, or local taxes. However, if you claim a state as your residence and you have other ties to that state other than voting then you may be liable for state or local taxation. It depends on the laws of your particular state.

Registering to Vote and Your Absentee Ballot

Laws governing registration vary from state to state. Please go to FVAP’s website for more information about your state. Before beginning, please look into your states rules and regulations in regard to absentee voting. You can find this in Chapter Three of the Voting Assistance Guide located at www.fvap.gov.

In order to register to vote or request an absentee ballot you must mail the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). You can get an online version of the FPCA from www.fvap.gov. This form must then be mailed to you Local Election Office. To find the address for your Local Election Office please see Chapter 3 of the Voting Assistance Guide located at www.fvap.gov. You must pay for the postage if you mail either the FPCA or your ballot from a Japanese Post Office. If you mail your FPCA or ballot from a U.S. embassy or a U.S. consulate, the postage is pre-paid for. You cannot register or vote in person at the United States Embassies in Japan. Some states allow you to receive and send material via electronic (fax or e-mail) means. Please check with your state’s election website. To find your states website please go to www.fvap.gov/links/statelinks.html.

Your Local Election Office should receive your FPCA at least forty-five days before the election day. If you are applying for both your registration and an absentee ballot you may need to send your FPCA earlier. However, please note that these laws vary from state to state.

Most states will then mail your ballot 30 to 45 days before the election. If you do not receive your ballot two weeks prior to the election contact FVAP’s Ombudsman Service.

Most states do not require that your FPCA or ballot be notarized. However, to find out if your state does please consult the Voting Assistance Guide at www.fvap.gov.
Alternatively, you can also find [absentee] voter registration information at www.overseasvotefoundation.org, recommended by a fellow JET in Fukushima.

 

Learning About the Candidates

You can learn about the issues and positions of the candidates by reading U.S. news magazines and newspaper. You can also visit the Democrats Abroad and Republicans Abroad websites.

Voting Assistance

If you have any other question there are several locations from which you can receive information.

Please read the Voting Assistance Guide at the FVAP website. You can receive a hard copy of this guide by sending a request to vote@fvap.ncr.gov.

If you have read the Voting Assistance Guide and still have questions you can also contact the Ombudsman Service toll free in Japan at 00531-1208-96 or at (708)-588-1584 (not toll free).