Unlike in some countries, the US allows all adult citizens to vote, regardless of how long they've lived abroad unless their voting rights have been suspended due to a criminal conviction.
Although the Presidential Election isn’t until Tuesday, November 5th, it's best to start the absentee ballot process as early as possible.
Registering, requesting, receiving, and returning your ballot by mail takes time, so plan ahead to ensure your vote is counted.
How do I vote?
This will depend on your state - and in this case, 'your' state would be the place where you last lived in the United States (even if you no longer reside there).
Broadly, you will need to be registered to vote and request an overseas absentee ballot to participate in the 2024 election.
If you have never lived in the US, then you'll want to start by finding out if you are eligible to get an absentee ballot and which state you should get one from.
For those who have lived in the US, homepage for the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) has a dropdown menu where you can select your state to get specific information.
Unfortunately, each state's rules and processes are slightly different. Still, the good news is that there are plenty of groups - both partisan and nonpartisan - that offer help to Americans abroad in getting registered.
One such organisation is the US Vote Foundation, a nonpartisan non-profit that "together with our Overseas Vote and US.VOTE initiatives, is dedicated to bringing best-in-class voter services to millions of American voters."
To start the process of registering and requesting your ballot, you can click here and follow the instructions, or you can find the dedicated page from your state.
There are also services offered by partisan groups like 'Democrats Abroad' and 'Republicans Overseas', which provide information and, in some cases, in-person help with getting registered to vote.
How far in advance should I request a ballot?
This varies by state and the specific procedures for absentee ballots, but it's always better to act early.
The US Vote Foundation website provides detailed information on voting requirements for each state, including deadlines, eligibility criteria, and tools to check if you're already registered to vote.
For example, in Maryland, voter registration must be completed by October 15th. Postal ballot requests must be received by Tuesday, October 29th, and email or online ballot requests must be received by November 1st.
Maryland also requires absentee ballots to be postmarked on or before Election Day (November 5th) and received by Friday, November 15th.
As the dates differ state-to-state, be sure to check your state's rules and abide by them. There can be delays with sending and receiving ballots, so give yourself more than enough time.
With reporting by Genevieve Mansfield.
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