Voting in U.S. Elections from Abroad

U.S. citizens living and traveling abroad can vote by absentee ballot.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) is the official U.S. government website for overseas voters. They provide information on registering absentee for U.S. elections, as well as details of upcoming elections, registration dates and deadlines. The Department of State also maintains comprehensive information for U.S. citizens abroad who wish to vote in U.S. elections, which is available on their website.

To vote from abroad, you have to register to vote and request an absentee ballot from local election officials in your state of voting residence. This is usually the state you last resided in before moving abroad. We recommend that overseas voters register every year to receive an absentee ballot, even if you have voted absentee before. You can begin the registration process at the FVAP website.

Dropping off Completed Ballots

U.S. Embassies and Consulates are not polling places. We are here to answer your questions about voting from abroad, and assist with forwarding your voting materials to your local electoral office in the United States. Same-day, in-person voting is not available outside the United States.  We recommend that you e-mail, fax, or post ballots back to your local electoral office well before Election Day.

Voters or their representatives can drop off absentee ballots at the U.S. Embassy in Paramaribo for postage-free mailing to the United States.  Ballots must be in sealed and addressed envelopes. To arrange a time to drop off your ballot, please contact us at caparamar@state.gov.

If you have registered to vote but have not received your ballot 30 days before the election, or you haven’t registered but would still like to vote, please refer to your State-specific instructions and complete a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) if appropriate.

Further Questions

If you have specific questions or need further assistance, you can contact the Voting Assistance Officer in Paramaribo, Suriname at caparamar@state.gov.