The U.S. Embassy in Muscat encourages all eligible U.S citizens to participate in elections. Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s (FVAP) website, FVAP.gov.
Note: Eligible overseas voters who wish to participate in elections should start the process by completing the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), which is standardized for use across all States. The FPCA acts as both a registration and absentee ballot request form. Whether you are a first-time voter or have already received ballots and voted absentee in past elections, you must complete an FPCA each year to participate in elections as an overseas absentee voter.
- Request Your Ballot: Complete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) online at FVAP.gov. You must complete a new FPCA every year to ensure you receive your ballot. The completion of the FPCA allows you to request absentee ballots for all elections for federal offices (President, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives) including primaries and special elections during the calendar year in which it is submitted. The FPCA is accepted by all local election officials in all U.S. states and territories.
You can complete the FPCA online at FVAP.gov. The online voting assistant will ask you questions specific to your state. We encourage you to ask your local election officials to deliver your blank ballots to you electronically (by email, internet download, or fax, depending on your state). Include your email address on your FPCA to take advantage of the electronic ballot delivery option. Return the FPCA per the instructions on the website. FVAP.gov will tell you if your state allows the FPCA to be returned electronically or if you must submit a paper copy with original signature. If you must return a paper version, please see below for mailing options.
- Receive and Complete Your Ballot: States are required to send out ballots 45 days before a regular election for federal office and states generally send out ballots at least 30 days before primary elections. For most states, you can confirm your registration and ballot delivery online.
- Return Your Completed Ballot: Some states allow you to return your completed ballot electronically and others do not. If your state requires you to return paper voting forms or ballots to local election officials, you can do so free of charge at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Place your ballots in postage paid return envelopes or in envelopes bearing sufficient domestic U.S. postage, and address them to the relevant local election officials.
- What happens if a voter does not receive an Absentee Ballot? Any registered U.S. citizen voter who requests an absentee ballot by their state’s deadline but has not received it at least 30-days before the election, can vote via returned Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). The FWAB is an emergency backup ballot that can be completed online. Expat U.S. citizens without internet access can obtain and submit their FWAB in the embassy consular section during public hours.
Researching the Candidates and Issues: Online Resources. Check out the FVAP links page for helpful resources that will aid your research of candidates and issues. Non-partisan information about candidates, their voting records, and their positions on issues are widely available and easy to obtain on-line. You can also read national and hometown newspapers on-line, or search the internet to locate articles and information. For information about election dates and deadlines, subscribe to FVAP’s Voting Alerts (vote@fvap.gov). FVAP also shares Voting Alerts via Facebook and Twitter.
If you have any questions about registering to vote overseas, please email VoteMuscat@state.gov.
