USA 2024 Elections: register to vote abroad

U.S. State Department reminds Americans abroad that to vote in November’s upcoming election, citizens who are not registered to receive an absentee ballot will not be able to vote in the upcoming election.

IN a recent memo from the U.S. Embassy to all Americans living abroad, the State Department outlined the necessary steps citizens who wish to vote in the upcoming 2024 presidential elections must complete. First, to request an absentee ballot in any federal election, including presidential, senatorial, and congressional elections. To do so, even registered voters must fill out a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). This is an application which must be re-submitted yearly.

The State Department goes on to explain that states are required to send out absentee ballots 45 days before election day and around 30 days before primary elections. Normal transit time for a ballot to or from any consulate worldwide is around 14 days. This means that to be registered to vote on time in the November 2024 presidential election, citizens must have their FPCA’s approved by September 21, 2024, at the latest.

19 states allow the online delivery and/or submission of absentee ballots, the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s official page has a window in which one can insert their state of residence and more specific instructions are given from there. If you happen to be a registered voter in a state where this is not an option, or you have other questions about the process, you can reach out via email or visit in person one of the various American Consular Agencies around Spain in: Málaga, Madrid, Valencia, Mallorca, Las Palmas, Barcelona or Sevilla.

Despite the fact that there are over 2.9 million Americans living abroad, only 4.7% of expats voted in the 2018 midterm elections, compared to the 49% of Americans living within the 50 states. The 2020 election saw a historic voter turnout and voters abroad were no exception with over 890,000 votes being counted in the election which were received from American expats worldwide, surpassing 30% of expats globally. These figures regardless of any particular political view are signs of healthy political institutions and represent a trend of increased citizen engagement in the political process, something all can appreciate.