Overseas absentee ballots begin going out to voters who requested them 45 days before the election. If you are expecting an absentee ballot and it has not yet arrived:
- Many states have tools available for voters to check the status of their ballot. To see if your state does, you can check out our State Ballot Tracking Chart. If your state offers ballot tracking you'll see an X next to it, which we've hyperlinked to take you directly to your state's ballot tracking service.
- If you are sure you submitted Voter Registration/Ballot Request form to your local election official earlier this year but do not see it in the tracking system, or if your state does not offer ballot tracking, please contact your election office to check on the status of your ballot. You can find your their contact information in our Election Official Directory.
- If all attempts to receive your ballot fail, as a last resort you can use the overseas voter emergency ballot, the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB).
Note: If you send in a FWAB and then receive your regular ballot from your election office, you should still complete the regular ballot and send it in. This is an allowable practice and does not equal voting twice. Always return your ballot, even if it is unmarked and enclosed with a note as to why.
If you have not yet requested your absentee ballot and the deadline hasn't passed, please go to Register to Vote/Absentee Ballot to generate the form. Once you have completed your form, please download, print, sign, and send it to the address provided in the instructions that print with your form.