Voting While Studying Abroad

Can I still vote while I'm studying abroad? 

• Yes! You will need to make sure you are registered to vote & you will need to request a mail-in/absentee ballot.
• You can register to vote or check/update your voter registration at umd.turbovote.org. You can register using either your home address or your College Park address - that's up to you for where you want your vote counted!

How do I request a mail-in ballot? 

• Go to FVAP.gov today to generate a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). The FPCA allows you to request voter registration in your state of legal voting residence, request absentee ballots for all federal elections in a current calendar year, and update your voter contact information. Sign and send in your FPCA right away.
• If you don’t have a local address yet for where you are studying abroad, you can put down the address of your UMD's study abroad office on the FPCA form: Maryland Global, H.J. Patterson Hall, 4065 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20742

How do I actually receive my ballot? 

• If you send in the FPCA form, your state will email your ballot to you.
• You should receive your ballot 45 days before Election Day (Saturday, 9/21). An emailed ballot might go to your spam inbox, so be sure to check there.
• If you have not received your ballot 45 days before Election Day, a few days after you emailed your FPCA, or a week or so after you mailed your FPCA, contact your local election official(s) by going to your county's Board of Elections website. 

How do I actually vote once I have my ballot? 

• Once you have your ballot, you can start filling it in - just like you would in-person at your polling place. 
• Your ballot will give you instructions for how to return it once you've filled it out! Many states allow for electronic return of completed ballots. Others require them to be printed, filled out and mailed with sufficient postage. Return your ballot as soon as you can, aiming for mid-October at the latest.