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An official website of the United States government
It is easy to vote absentee while living in Norway. U.S. citizens that want to participate in elections need to complete the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) . 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. The FPCA acts as both voter registration and ballot request.
The Federal Voting Assistance Program highly recommends that overseas citizen voters complete the FPCA and register as soon as possible to allow ample time for FPCA’s to reach election offices by all state’s registration deadlines.
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 by mail, you can do so through international mail, professional courier service, or through the U.S. Embassy in Oslo’s diplomatic pouch. The diplomatic pouch provides free mail service from embassies and consulates to a U.S. sorting facility. You will need to place your ballots in postage paid return envelopes or in envelopes bearing sufficient U.S. postage, in order for them to be delivered to the proper local election authorities.
If you plan to use the diplomatic pouch, voting materials may be dropped off at the Embassy in Oslo, Monday through Friday between 8am and 3pm at the main embassy entrance, Morgedalsvegen 36, 0378 Oslo. The guards outside will accept the FPCA or ballot envelope. The person dropping off the envelope must present a valid I.D. and wait until the envelope has been scanned before leaving. You will need to place your ballots in postage paid return envelopes or in envelopes bearing sufficient U.S. postage, in order for them to be delivered to the proper local election authorities. Please note that it may take up to four weeks for mail to reach its destination if sent by diplomatic pouch. All overseas U.S. citizens are advised to follow the instructions from their own voting state and submit their forms and ballots accordingly. Ballots will be received and forwarded whenever submitted but you may want to consider using a courier service if submitting your ballot close to or after the stated delivery time for pouch mail.
Follow these simple steps to register to vote and request your ballot today!
Fill out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) and send it to your election office. Be sure to include your email address so that your election office can easily reach you in case there is a problem.
Your voting residence (the U.S. state or territory where you are registering to vote) is likely your legal residence. Here’s how to determine your voting residence .
Using the FPCA ensures that your state will send your ballot to you at least 45 days before the election — a protection not guaranteed when using other forms. It’s a good idea to send in a new FPCA every January and each time you move.
For the general election, you should receive your ballot by early October.
Vote and send back your ballot as soon as you receive it.
If you requested your ballot but haven’t received it, contact your election office to ask about the status of your ballot request.
If there isn’t enough time to receive and send back your ballot before the election, use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) . Send it to your county election office. It works like a backup ballot. If your official absentee ballot arrives after sending in the FWAB, fill out and send in the official ballot too. Only one will be counted.
Online Resources. Go to the FVAP links page for helpful resources to 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 online. You can also read national and hometown newspapers online 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 (@DODFVAP), Twitter (@FVAP), and Instagram (@fvapgov).
Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s (FVAP) website, FVAP.gov . If you have any questions about registering to vote overseas, please contact U.S. Embassy Oslo’s Voting Assistance Officer at VoteOslo@state.gov.