Register as Overseas Voter and Vote in the 2022 U.S. Elections!
In some states voter registration and ballot request deadlines for the November 2022 election are as early as October 5. Whether you are a first-time voter or have already received ballots and voted absentee in past elections, we recommend that you complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) every year to ensure you can participate in elections as an overseas absentee voter. The online voting assistant available at FVAP.gov is an easy way to complete the FPCA.
If you have already completed a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) in 2022 and requested electronic delivery of your ballot, you will be receiving your blank ballot or instructions for how to access your ballot soon. If you are unsure about the status of your absentee ballot request, you should contact your local election officials in the United States or check the status of your registration via your state’s voter registration verification website.
If you do not have enough time to receive and send back your ballot before the election, you can download and use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) . The FWAB is a backup ballot you can use if you don’t receive your ballot in a timely manner.
If you wish to drop off your ballot at the Embassy or Consulate, place it in either a postage-paid envelope or envelope bearing domestic U.S. postage addressed to your local election officials. (You can also download the postage paid envelope from the FVAP.gov website. ) You can drop off your completed voting forms and ballots, addressed to your local election officials, at the following locations:
- Completed voting forms or ballots may be sent through the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, by dropping them off in sealed envelopes at the American Citizens Services unit between 8:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., except for U.S. and local holidays.
- Completed voting forms or ballots may be sent through the U.S. Consulate General Barcelona, by dropping them off in sealed envelopes at the American Citizens Services unit between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., except for U.S. and local holidays.
- If you are sending your voting form or ballot through one of the U.S. consular agencies, send an email to the agency located closest to you to schedule an appointment to drop off the document.
If it’s more convenient, you can have a friend or family member drop off your FPCA on your behalf at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid or the U.S. Consulate General in Barcelona during the above times, or you can send your FPCA or ballot directly to your local election officials via international mail or professional courier service at your own expense.
The Embassy and Consulate will receive ballots until election day; however, the normal transit time from Spain to the United States is 21-28 days. Your state’s local election laws will specify by what date a ballot needs to be received to be counted. We recommend you submit your ballot at the Embassy or Consulate by October 8 to ensure your ballot is received by your local election officials by election day. After you send in your ballot, you can check if it was received by your election office.
For any additional questions about voting overseas, please email us at VoteMadrid@state.gov or at VoteBarcelona@state.gov.
HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT OVERSEAS VOTING
Please spread the word to your friends, family, and colleagues. If they want to vote in the elections, they need to take steps now to request, complete, and send their ballots to the United States. Consider posting to your Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or other social media account that you are an active voter and will be dropping off or mailing your Federal Post Card Application or completed ballot. Use #ProudOverseasVoter to help get the word out about voting.
Your Vote Counts
Many U.S. elections within the past ten years have been decided by a margin of victory of less than 0.1%. All states are required to count every absentee ballot as long as it is valid and reaches local election officials by the absentee ballot receipt deadline (differs by state).
Be an educated voter. Check out the FVAP links page for helpful resources that will aid your research of candidates and issues. You can also read national and hometown newspapers online and search the Internet to locate articles and information.
To receive information by email about election dates and deadlines, subscribe to FVAP’s Voting Alerts (vote@fvap.gov). FVAP also shares Voting Alerts via Facebook and Twitter .
If you have any questions about registering to vote overseas, please contact VoteMadrid@state.gov or VoteBarcelona@state.gov.