Securing an Absentee Ballot
If you are living outside the United States at the time of an election, there are a few steps you must take to ensure that you receive an absentee ballot. As an American living overseas there is a federal form called the Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) that you should use to request your absentee ballot. This is different from the absentee ballot used by Americans in the U.S. at the time of the election.
Americans living abroad can use an FPCA both to register to vote and to request an absentee ballot. An FPCA needs to be sent each election year to ensure that you will receive an absentee ballot. The FPCA is available online at http://fvap.gov/pubs/onlinefpca.pdf.
All states and territories accept the FPCA, but the information required varies. State-by-state information is available online at http://fvap.gov/pubs/vag/vagchapter3.html.
You must send your completed FPCA to the local election official in the county (or, in a few instances, city or town) where you last resided. Your legal residency is most likely either where you live while studying at PLU or where your parents live.
Fill out the FPCA well before you leave the United States. This will ensure that your local election officials have sufficient time to process your FPCA and send you your absentee ballot at the earliest time possible (usually 30-45 days before the election).
If you are having trouble downloading the FPCA, you can e-mail vote@fvap.ncr.gov to request a copy attached to an e-mail. If you have submitted your FPCA and do not receive an absentee ballot by one month prior to the election, you should send an e-mail to vote@fvap.ncr.gov and they will investigate the situation for you and provide a write-in ballot. This service is only available to those who have submitted an FPCA.