Absentee voting

U.S. Citizens overseas are guaranteed the right to vote in federal elections in the United States.

Please note that you cannot simply log on to a website and vote at the last minute. Almost all states require voters to physically sned in registration documents, receive paper ballots by return post, and mail in their completed ballots. Adequate preparation is key.

You cannot register to vote or vote at the Embassy or Consulates.

However, we do supply the form necessary to request an absentee ballot from your last state of residence. This site will guide you on how to download, fill in and send the form to the appropriate address in your state.

For quick answers, consult the Voting FAQ!

Which State?

The issue of voting residence is complex. Even in states where laws clearly define criteria for determining a person's voting residence, the final determination is generally up to each local election official. The UOCAVA allows citizens outside the United States (not affiliated with the Uniformed Services) to vote in the state or territory where they last resided immediately prior to departing the United States, even if many years have elapsed, and the voter maintains no residence in the state or territory, and the intent to return to that state or territory may not be certain.

For members of the Uniformed Services and their family members, in most states the legal voting residence is defined as where they have, or have had, physical presence at the location and, the intent to remain or return. If a citizen is uncertain about his or her current legal voting residence, the citizen should examine his or her connections or ties to the state or territory in question and consult with legal counsel.

What is my legal residence? Click here for more detailed residency guidelines (see specifically paragraph four, b and c.

I need to know my county in my home state. How do I find it? Click here for county information.

What about Taxes?

Exercising your right to vote in elections for Federal offices only does not affect the determination of residence or domicile for purposes of any tax imposed under Federal, state or local law. Voting in an election for Federal office only may not be used as the sole basis to determine residency for the purposes of imposing state and local taxes.

If you claim a particular state as your residence and have other ties with that state in addition to voting then you may be liable for state and local taxation, depending upon that particular state law. Appendix E of the 2004-05 Voting Assistance Guide contains information on probable tax obligations. Consult your legal counsel for specific questions.

You can learn more about U.S. Federal Tax questions here.

The Absentee Voting Process

You complete and mail a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). Get the form here;

For state-by-state absentee voting information, including the necessary mailing address, please choose one of these files: States A-L / States M-W. Use your brower's "FIND" command to locate your state within these files. For Internet Explorer users, select EDIT, then FIND (ON THIS PAGE).

A Local Election Official in your state of residence approves your request to register/vote, or asks you for more information;

Once approved, a Local Election Official in your state of residence mails you an absentee ballot;

You complete the ballot, notarize it free at the Embassy or a Consulate if needed, and mail it back to your state of residence. You can send the FPCA to the U.S. for free through the Embassy or a Consulate if the envelope indicates that postage has been pre-paid. Mailing time to the U.S. is about 10 days, subject to factors in the postal system beyond our control. You can also mail it directly to the U.S. using the Japanese postage system by placing the appropriate airmail stamp on it.

Notarizing the FPCA

If your state requires that you take an oath to the contents of the FPCA, please visit the American Citizen Services section at the Embassy or one of our Consulates along with your passport. All notarization services on voting materials are performed free of charge. Notarials must be done in person.

Follow this link for our opening hours and directions for our offices nationwide.

Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB)

Overseas voters may be eligible to use the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) to vote for federal offices (President/Vice President, Senator, and Representative).

The FWAB may be used only for general elections and is a backup for voters who expect to be able to use the regular absentee ballot from their state or territory but who did not receive that ballot in time to vote and return it.

The FWAB must be received by the local election official no later than the deadline for receipt of regular absentee ballots under state law. The FWAB is to be used to assist those voters who would be disenfranchised through no fault of their own, and is not designed as a replacement for the regular state ballot. It is valid only when the state ballot has been requested.

Request an FWAB in writing. Follow this link for contact information for our offices nationwide. The FWAB is not available in an online version.

Be sure to include your full name, Japanese mailing address and U.S. state of residence with your FAXed or written request. You must also specify a state of residence in the U.S.

U.S. Military and Merchant Marine members, their spouses and dependents, and DOD civilian U.S. government employees overseas, their spouses and dependents, should obtain their FPCA through their unit or office Voting Assistance Officer.

More information is available online at www.fvap.gov

For more information, including our phone and FAX number, please contact the office serving your part of Japan.

The U.S. Embassy and our Consulates are closed on both U.S. and Japanese holidays.

This is an official source of U.S. Government information on the Web. Inclusion of Non-U.S. Government links or information does not imply endorsement of contents.


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