Start now. Voters must register every calendar year. You must register as an overseas voter, not as an absentee voter. Thus the importance of using a registration site for voters residing abroad.

January: Register to Vote and Request your Ballot

Go to VoteFromAbroad.org and register to vote and request your ballot for 2024. The site walks you clearly through the process. Once you select your voting state, It will walk you through the steps to register and request your 2024 ballot.

Tip: If you are not sure what your US voting state is, click here.

Tip: If your state allows, request your ballot be sent to you via email. This will eliminate the worry of potential local mail problems or strikes.

Tip: Take screenshots along the way as you are filling out the form … this can be helpful if you need to refer back to something and haven’t gotten through the entire form. (The final screen will show the completed form.)

If you have any questions along the way, or after you have sent in your voter registration, send an email to the volunteer voter support team at [email protected]. You can also check the this FAQ Section for answers to common questions.

Once you are registered and you ballot request has been confirmed and accepted via an email from your local election official (LEO) you can then wait to receive your ballot. If there are no special elections in your state this year that you might be eligible to vote in, the ballots for the November 4th election will arrive 45 days before the election date.

1. September: Receive Your Ballot - Make sure you also check your spam folder as ballots can land there - if you don’t receive it, send an email to your local election officer (LEO). You can look up their contact info here.
2. Late September / Early October: Return your voted ballot: Once you have voted your ballot by following all the instructions, return it per your state’s return ballot rules and deadlines. For states that require you to return your voted ballot in the mail you will need to account for mail time back to the US. For information on mail carrier options from Brazil, click here: HOW TO VOTE FROM BRAZIL - Always follow-up on your ballot. Make sure it arrived and if there is a problem you can always vote a back-up FWAB. Get your virtual "I voted from Brazil” sticker and share with friends living abroad!