Public Services
Voting Assistance
Americans living in Estonia are encouraged to act immediately in order to vote in the upcoming U.S. elections which will take place on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. You cannot simply vote at the Embassy on or near Election Day! Rather, you must request an absentee ballot from the U.S. state where you maintain residence or last resided. All of the information you need to obtain a ballot is available on the Federal Voting Assistance Program's website at http://fvap.gov. Rules and deadlines differ from state to state. Please do not procrastinate or be put off by the apparent complication of voting from overseas! If you need help, the Embassy's Consular Section is ready to assist you, even if you are not currently registered to vote. Information on how to contact us appears at the end of this message.
This message describes (i) who is eligible to vote, (ii) how to register to vote and/or request an absentee ballot and (iii) how to vote.
Eligibility to Vote
Generally, all U.S. citizens 18 years of age or older (by Election Day) who are residing outside the United States during an election period are eligible to vote absentee in any election for Federal office. Most states allow overseas voters to vote in state and local elections as well.
Voting eligibility and residency requirements are determined by the various U.S. states, and are available online at http://fvap.gov. Your "legal state of residence" for voting purposes is the state where you last resided immediately prior to departure from the United States. Voting rights extend to overseas citizens even though they may no longer own property or have other ties to their last state of residence, and even if their intent to return to that state may be uncertain. For those who have never resided in the United States, some states allow certain U.S. citizens to register where a parent or spouse would be eligible to vote. See http://fvap.gov for more information.
Voter Registration and Requesting an Absentee Ballot
Voters who have not yet registered to vote and requested an absentee ballot should do so now!
1. Complete the application to request an absentee ballot using the instructions at http://fvap.gov. (If you are not registered, or are unsure, you can use the same form to simultaneously register and request an absentee ballot.) A hard copy of this ballot/registration application, known as the Federal Post Card Application or "FPCA," is also available in the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn. Note that a few states require ballot materials to be witnessed or notarized. If, however, your state requires notarization (see http://fvap.gov), the Embassy's Consular Section provides this service free of charge (for election materials).
2. Sign, date and mail the completed FPCA directly to the address listed for your state and county/city at http://fvap.gov. You may also contact the U.S. Embassy's Consular Section for this information. If you are sending the FPCA through international mail, please affix appropriate airmail postage. Alternatively, you can print out a postage-paid address label (http://fvap.gov/resources/media/returnenvelope.pdf) and ask the U.S. Embassy's Consular Section to send your FPCA postage-paid through diplomatic pouch or the military postal service (or bring or mail your ballot to the Embassy's Consular Section and we will mail it for you). Some states allow voters to send in the FPCA by fax, but they generally require you to send in the hard copy of the application by mail as well. Follow your state's regulations precisely! The Embassy's Consular Section can help you with this process.
3. If you voted in a recent election, you might receive an absentee ballot automatically. If you are unsure about your absentee voting status, simply send in a completed FPCA. Be sure to send in a new FPCA if you have moved or changed your name since the last time you voted. Some states allow you to confirm your registration via the internet (see http://www.fvap.gov/for-voting-assistance-officers/state-voting-registration-verification-sites/index.html), or you can follow up directly with your local election officials in order to confirm that you are registered.
Voting
Your local voting official should mail your absentee ballot directly to you 30 to 45 days before the November 4 general election. Return your voted ballot as early as possible. Be aware of your state's ballot receipt deadline, as well as any postmarking requirements. Although some states allow ballots to be counted as long as they are postmarked by Election Day, others require the ballot to arrive at the local voting official's office no later than Election Day. Consult http://fvap.gov or contact the U.S. Embassy's Consular Section for more information on your state's rules.
If you do not receive your ballot in time, you can complete a special emergency ballot known as the "Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot" or "FWAB." The FWAB will not be counted if you have not already registered and requested an absentee ballot, so you must first complete and send in the FPCA (described above). Also, the FWAB generally is valid only for federal races (President, Vice President, U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives), not for state and local races. If you have not received your absentee ballot by October 15, we strongly encourage you to complete and return the FWAB to ensure that your vote is received in time to be counted. Don't worry if your local voting official ultimately receives both a regular absentee ballot and FWAB from you. Only one ballot will be counted, and you will not be penalized for trying to vote twice!