IMPORTANT: Message for U.S. Citizens Voting Overseas in Federal Elections

If you plan to vote in upcoming federal elections, it is important to ACT NOW!  Do not wait, return your absentee ballot right away!  Remember U.S. embassies and consulates are not polling places; same-day in-person voting is not available outside the United States – but you can get assistance in requesting and returning your absentee ballot.  Many states require voted ballots to reach local election officials by the close of polls on election day.

The Department of State is committed to assisting overseas voters in casting their ballots.  For overseas voting information please see the Department of State’s web site Absentee Voting Information for U.S. Citizens Abroad or FVAP.gov.

All voters should confirm their voter registration in the state where they plan to vote. Some states require absentee voters to register annually, so you may need to re-register.  Go to FVAP.gov to connect to your state’s voter portal to register to vote, request a ballot, and more.  Once you confirm your voter registration, follow these simple steps to vote in future federal elections:

1. Request Your Ballot: Most states provide the option to request a mail-in absentee ballot through their election portals, which you can easily access at FVAP.gov. You may also complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).  A FPCA allows you to request an absentee ballot for all elections for federal offices (President, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives) including primaries and special elections during the calendar year in which it is submitted.  FPCA forms are accepted by all local election officials in every U.S. state and territory. They must be correctly filled out and include a signature and date.  You can complete a FPCA using FVAP’s easy online assistant. Whether you request your ballot through your state’s election portal or the FPCA, we encourage you to select the option for receiving your ballot electronically (by email, internet download, or fax) when available.  This is the fastest way for you to receive your ballot and ensures you have it in time to return a completed form before your state’s deadline.
2. Receive and Complete Your Ballot:  States are required to send out ballots 45 days before a regular election for federal office and states generally send out ballots at least 30 days before primary elections.  Most states allow you to confirm your ballot delivery online.
3. Return Your Completed, Signed Ballot:  Some states allow you to return your completed ballot electronically and others do not.  If your state requires you to return paper voting forms or ballots to local election officials by mail, you can do so through international mail, professional courier service, or through the U.S. Consulate General Casablanca’s diplomatic pouch.  The diplomatic pouch provides free mail service from embassies and consulates to a U.S. sorting facility.  You will need to place your ballot in a postage-paid return envelope or in an envelope bearing sufficient U.S. postage.  If using the diplomatic pouch, ballots must be dropped off at the American Citizens Services section on weekdays between 14:00 and 16:00 at the U.S. Consulate General in Casablanca.  Remember that ballots received after cut-off dates will be forwarded but may arrive too late to be counted.  Please also check the regulations in the state in which you vote as deadlines may differ, and you may have alternative voting options such as electronic voting or voting by fax.  It may take up to four weeks for mail to reach its destination if sent by an embassy or consulate via diplomatic pouch.

Never received your ballot?  If you registered to vote and requested an absentee ballot prior to your state’s registration deadline, but have not yet received your ballot, complete and return a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot to ensure your vote reaches election officials by your state’s deadline.  If your regular ballot arrives later, complete and return it as well.  Your Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot will only be counted if your regular ballot does not reach local election officials by your state’s deadline.  Your vote will not be counted twice. 

 Missed the U.S. Consulate shipment deadline?  Consider returning your ballot to the United States via a commercial express courier service such as FedEx, UPS, or DHL or return your voted ballot electronically if allowed by your state.  Ballots sent to local election officials via express courier service do not receive standard postmarks, so voters using this method should confirm delivery on or before November 8 prior to payment and shipment.  Check your state’s voting procedures at www.FVAP.gov for guidance.  

Returning your Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot by email or fax.  Review your state’s voting procedures at www.FVAP.gov for guidance. 

Returning your ballot by international mail delivery.  If using Morocco’s postal system, be sure to affix sufficient international postage, and allow sufficient time for international mail delivery.  Ballots sent via regular international mail from most countries at this date are unlikely to reach local election officials by state ballot receipt deadlines, so you may need to consider another method such as a private courier service.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT OVERSEAS VOTING.  Please help spread the word to your friends, family, and colleagues that now is the time to start thinking about overseas voting.  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 #Vote2022 to help get the word out about voting. 

Need help?  You can get in-person assistance from our Consulate Voting Assistance Officer or drop off your ballot at the U.S Consulate in Casablanca on weekdays from 14:00-16:00.  No appointment is necessary to drop off your ballot.

Have Questions?  Please contact Casablanca’s Voting Assistance Officer at VoteCasablanca@state.gov.  You can also contact the Federal Voting Assistance Program directly if you encounter issues with local election officials by emailing Vote@FVAP.gov or toll free by phone from many countries around the world.

Confirm your registration and ballot delivery online.  Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s (FVAP) website at www.FVAP.gov.