Americans in France urged to register to vote in presidential election

Americans abroad who want to vote in the upcoming US presidential election this November 5 must register to do so before it is too late.

They must complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to vote. This must be completed annually for citizens to be eligible to vote in any US elections held that year.

This means that even those who permanently reside outside of the US and have voted abroad in the past must re-register to receive a 2024 FPCA and vote this November. 

Voters who are usually in the US but are not able to vote in person on election day due to being out of the country will also need to complete a FPCA in order to vote.

You can fill out the FPCA form at VoteFromAbroad.org, a service offered by the Democratic Party Committee Abroad, which also offers voter assistance by chat, email and zoom

Fvap.gov, run by the federal US government, is at this link. You are required to complete an online form, print it and post it. 

A new website run by the Center for US Voters Abroad Turnout Project, is also promising to help, stating that it will "walk you through the process of filling out this form, then show you how to send it on to the correct local election official." 

It is stated to be run by independent American non-profit organisations aiming is to help more Americans participate in elections - it says just 8% of those eligible overseas voted in 2020 - though we cannot vouch for what added value it provides compared to using the FVAP site. 

When applying for an overseas ballot you will need to provide details including your address and personal information, as well as decide how you wish to receive your ballot. 

You can choose either email, physical mail, or via fax, receiving the ballot electronically is the recommended option.

Ballots can be returned online, but in some cases states only accept a physical (postal) return.

The latter can be by ordinary international mail or by dropping it into the US Embassy in Paris or the consulates in Marseille and Strasbourg for free transport to the US via the diplomatic pouch (however, in the latter case you must use the official voting envelope marked 'US postage paid' or place enough US stamps on the envelope to cover the cost of US domestic mailing).

Note you will need to provide your last permanent US address to complete the FPCA, which will in turn be used to work out where your vote is counted. 

However, US citizens who have never lived in the country before (for example those born abroad) but who are eligible to vote can still complete the FPCA, with the website explaining how.