A wonderful feature of the overseas voting program is that, if for any reason your requested ballot does not arrive in time for you to vote, you can use the emergency Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB). The FWAB is available on the U.S. Vote Foundation website. You can complete the cover page online, then download the ballot with instructions and the return address.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
You'll Need to Write-in the Names of the Candidates
You will need to look up and write in the names of your chosen candidates. You can do that with the Sample Ballot Tool available on the U.S. Vote Foundation website.
If Your Ballot Arrives After You Submit the FWAB
If you send in the FWAB and your absentee ballot arrives afterward, you should vote and return that as well. This is common practice. Your election official knows to count the absentee ballot and disregard your FWAB in the event that they both arrive in time.
Before you Use the FWAB Emergency Ballot
The FWAB is a very basic substitute for your real ballot and should be your ballot of last resort.
Before using the FWAB, contact your election office to see if they sent your absentee ballot.
If your election office sent your ballot, but you did not receive it, and if there is still time, ask if they can void the first ballot and send you a replacement ballot. That will always be preferable to the FWAB.
