Is there a deadline to submit the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB)?

Your Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) must be postmarked by election day.


The Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) is an alternative, downloadable ballot which, depending on your voter status, you can use to vote in federal, state, and local elections, including on ballot measures. The FWAB is used by registered overseas and active duty uniformed services voters who have not received their official absentee ballot in a timely manner, and is accepted by all states and territories.


In most states, to qualify to use the FWAB you must first have completed and sent in your Voter Registration/Ballot Request form so that it will arrive either thirty (30) days prior to the election you wish to vote in, or on or before the deadline established by your state. Note that it is the longer of the two deadline that applies. You can check your state's deadlines list by visiting the Election Dates and Deadlines directory on our website. Be sure to click the box that says, "Overseas & Military Voters."


Some states will accept the FWAB as a simultaneous voter registration and ballot, but only if it is received before both the registration and ballot request deadlines. 


You can find the FWAB requirements for your state by going to the Federal Voting Assistance Program website (FVAP) website. Select your state and, on the following page, click the box marked, "State Voting Guidelines." On the following page scroll down to the section titled, "FWAB."


If it is early to mid-October and you have registered and requested your ballot for the November general election but not yet received it, we suggest that you download, complete, print, and mail the FWAB. If you saved your registration information in a Voter Account, you can login and access the FWAB with the click of a button. If you do not have a Voter Account, you can find the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) form on our website.