going abroad soon?
You’re in the right place.
188,753 U.S. students studied abroad in the 2021-2022 year. Pre-covid, the numbers exceeded 300,000+ students annually.
According to the U.S. Census, “Voter turnout was highest among ages 65 to 74 at 76.0%, while the percentage was lowest among ages 18 to 24 at 51.4%.” (census.gov)
Fall 2024 will be significant-- not just because you'll be abroad.
It’s also the date of the next US Presidential Election. Casting your vote from another country takes a few simple steps.
Although you may think one missing vote won’t impact the results, what if everyone going abroad had that mentality?
That’s 188,753+ missing votes.
It’s as important as ever to exercise our right to vote. Doing so while abroad isn’t difficult. Utilizing your right to vote gives you a say in decisions that impact everyone, including yourself.
NO VOTE = NO VOICE!
Days Until the 2024 Presidential Election
Day(s)
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Time Zones:
Remember to factor in Time Zones when ensuring certain documents are mailed in on time. If you ever need to call/email resources such as the Federal Voting Assistance Program, for example, you will have to do so during their American-centered hours of operation! World Clock here.
Voting Timeline/ To-Do's
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Are You Registered To Vote? Do so at the top of this page.
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Do you have the address for your residence abroad?
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Have you located a printer/ post office in your new area?
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Have you printed, signed, and submitted the FPCA (whether online or via mail?)
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Has your FPCA been approved? (You will be emailed if there are any problems)
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Have you identified what other elections will be on your ballot other than presidential?
*After September 21*
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Have you located and printed out your ballot? OR, have you called your local election office and filled out the FWAB if there are issues?
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Have you double-checked that everything has been filled out correctly?
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Have you contacted the nearest Embassy or Consulate to ask if they can mail your completed ballot back for you ? And if they provide the correct envelopes/postage?
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If they do not provide it, Have you printed the needed envelopes and identified what postage to use? (via google or the Embassy)
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Have you identified what postage to use (by asking the US Embassy in your country or the local post office)
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Finally, Have you mailed your ballot or FWAB by dropping them off at the Embassy, Consulate, or post office?
*A week or two later*
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Have you contacted your local election office to determine if they received your ballot? If not, you can ask them to contact you when they have received it.
Master List of Election-Related Resources:
About Vote From Abroad
Risha Reddi: Second-Year Delegate; Tulane Undergraduate Assembly; Community & Accountability Committee
Hey! My name is Risha Reddi and I’m currently a sophomore at Tulane. I created Vote From Abroad as my year-long project: One of my responsibilities as a Delegate with Tulane Undergraduate Assembly. These 2 pages of the TUA website contain everything you need to know in order to successfully cast your vote from overseas. I’m also studying abroad in Fall 2024, so I will be completing this whole process alongside many of you. I’ll be actively updating the pages with new information, resources, and troubleshooting as the semester unfolds. I’ve also partnered with the Office of Study Abroad to make these resources more accessible to you all, (more on that later!).
If you have any questions that the internet cannot answer, feel free to contact us at the contact form linked above, or me on Instagram @rishareddi. Be sure to follow the TUA (@tua.tulane) and Study Abroad (@tulanestudyabroad) Insta accounts for more information related to voting as well!!
I would like to extend a huge thank you to our amazing TUA advisor KP, and Siena Farrar at the Office of Study Abroad for all their assistance in making this project possible! I could not have done this without them and the amazing resources that the FVAP and others linked above have provided.
thank you + stay informed,
Risha :)