US Citizen services

Voting Overseas

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) allows certain groups of American citizens to register and vote absentee in elections for Federal offices. Many states and territories, in complying with the UOCAVA, have developed their own laws allowing citizens covered by the UOCAVA to register and vote absentee in state and local elections as well.

US citizens covered by the UOCAVA include:
- members of the US Uniformed Services (on active duty) and merchant marine,
- their family members,
- and US citizens residing outside the US.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program's (FVAP) website, http://www.fvap.ncr.gov, provides voting-related information and resources for overseas voters. This web site also includes the Voting Assistance Guide, which provides specific information for voters based on their address in the United States.

The American Citizens Services Unit (ACS) in the Consular Section can provide further voting assistance for Americans living in Moldova. Prior to a Federal US election, ACS receives Federal Post Card Applications, which are for distribution to Americans wanting to register as overseas absentee voters.

Important Notice about the 2008 U.S. Elections

Updated February 22, 2008

American citizens following the news from the United States are well aware of the upcoming federal, state and local elections being held between now and November.  Overseas citizens are eligible to participate in primary, run-off, and special elections that occur throughout the year, not just the general elections in November.

We strongly encourage you to register to vote and/or request absentee ballots as early in the year as possible to ensure that you will receive all ballots for which you are eligible. Should questions or problems occur, you would still be able to address them in time to vote in the general elections.

The following is the basic absentee voting process:

• Complete an application form (see below) and send it to your local election official in the United States.
• The local official approves the request, or contacts you for further information.
• The local official sends an absentee ballot.
• Vote with the ballot and send it back in time to meet your state's deadline.

The official U.S. Government website for overseas absentee voting assistance is the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at http://www.fvap.gov. It has a wealth of information about absentee voting, including the downloadable absentee ballot application, state-specific instructions for completing the form, links to state and local officials, and a downloadable emergency ballot.

Overseas citizens groups help people to vote. We encourage you to contact Democrats Abroad, Republicans Abroad or other American citizens groups or organizations for assistance in registering to vote and requesting absentee ballots. Links to these groups can be found at http://www.fvap.gov/links/ocitlinks.html.

To register to vote and to request an absentee ballot, download the Federal Post Card Application at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/fpca.html. You can also obtain this form from overseas American citizens groups or from the U.S. Embassy/Consulate. Fill it out and send it in, following the guidelines for your state. A postage-paid envelope template, valid if you are using the U.S. postal system, is available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/returnenvelope.html.

Each state has different voting procedures. Information about your state's procedures is available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/vag.html#ch3. Information about your state's deadlines to register and vote is available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/primarycal.html. A calendar of election dates is available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/primarycal.html.

States sometimes make last-minute changes. There may be late changes to your state's voting calendar, procedures or deadlines. When these occur, the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) will issue a News Release. News Releases are available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/releases.html.

Be an educated voter. Non-partisan information about candidates, their voting records, and their positions on issues is widely available and easy to obtain via the Internet. Use the links appearing on the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at http://www.fvap.gov/links/otherlinks.html, or choose any one of several search engines to locate articles and information.

An emergency ballot is available. If the ballot receipt deadline is approaching, and you have not yet received the blank ballot from local officials, you can download an emergency ballot, write in the names of the candidates and the offices for which they are running, and send it back in time to meet your state's ballot receipt deadline. The emergency ballot (SF-186, Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, or FWAB) is available on the Internet at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/fwab.html.

The Voting Assistance Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau is available to answer questions about absentee voting. To contact the Voting Assistance Officer, please send an e-mail to Chisinau-CA@state.gov. Look for notices from the Embassy/Consulate throughout the year relating to the 2008 elections.

Again, we strongly encourage you to begin this process as soon as possible.