What are the rules regarding overseas voting?
In the state of Texas, all U.S. citizens aged 18 or over who are currently living outside the country are eligible to vote in elections. Overseas citizens are allowed to register to vote and request absentee ballots from their county of residence in Texas. In order to register, U.S. citizens must fill out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) and submit it to their county of residence. Once the FPCA has been received by the county, an absentee ballot is then sent to the voter overseas. In order to receive a ballot, a voter must either submit a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) before the early voting period begins, or submit a signed and sworn “Ballot by Mail” (BBM) application 91 days before Election Day. Overseas citizens must submit their ballots within the time constraints in order for their vote to be counted. Texas does not have an emergency overseas voting period. Ballots must be received by the early voting clerk no later than 7:00 PM on Election Day. For overseas voters, the United States Postal Service postmark is used to determine the date the ballot was mailed. If an overseas voter’s ballot is received after the deadline, it will not be counted. Overseas citizens are also allowed to vote in federal primary and general elections. They must submit their FPCA to their county of residence before the early voting period begins. After submitting the FPCA, the county will then send the absentee ballot overseas. Ballots must be received by the county by the deadline in order to be counted.
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