Center for U.S. Voters Abroad

The FWAB: Your Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot

The Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot, or FWAB, is a backup ballot for U.S. citizens overseas and military voters. If you requested an absentee ballot and it has not arrived as your state's deadline approaches, you can write in your choices on the FWAB and send it instead — you do not have to keep waiting.

The backup ballot is a safety net for a ballot you already requested. If you have not sent your registration and ballot request yet, start there — in most states it is the only form that registers you, and it is what gets you an official ballot.

When should you use the backup ballot?

Use it when you have already requested your absentee ballot — by sending a Federal Post Card Application — and it has not reached you with your state's return deadline approaching. The FWAB exists precisely for that gap.

You do not have to wait until the last moment. If you are worried your ballot will not arrive in time, you can send the FWAB at any point in the election year once you have requested a ballot. International post runs slowly in both directions, and there is no downside to sending it early.

If you have not requested a ballot at all yet, send your registration and ballot request first. In most states the FWAB is a backup for a ballot you are already waiting on, not a way to register.

The only possible exceptions are the states whose FVAP instructions say the FWAB can also register you: Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. Everywhere else, do not count on it — send the Federal Post Card Application.

Ready to submit your FWAB?

The Federal Voting Assistance Program’s free form filler walks you through the ballot, shows your state’s own instructions and gives you the finished form to print, sign and send.

Fill in your FWAB at FVAP.gov

You will leave usvotersabroad.org for fvap.gov, the U.S. Department of Defense program that publishes the form.

What you can vote for on it

The FWAB covers federal offices everywhere. In 2026 that means U.S. House and U.S. Senate — a midterm year, with no presidential race on the ballot.

Most states go further and count the FWAB for every contest you are eligible to vote in — state and local offices and ballot measures too. FVAP's instructions describe it as a federal-only ballot in Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming, and in Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Texas an overseas citizen whose return is not certain gets federal offices only. FVAP's form filler shows your own state's rule as you fill it in. If you email or fax a ballot with state or local contests on it, some states ask for an extra form.

You write in your choices rather than picking from a printed list. The form's own instructions explain what it accepts, including whether you can write in a political party instead of a candidate's name, and they are the authority on the mechanics — read them before you fill it in.

What if your official ballot arrives after you sent the FWAB?

Complete and return the official ballot as well. Only one of the two will be counted, and election officials will not count both — sending the official ballot after the FWAB does not put your vote at risk.

This is the single most common worry about the backup ballot, and the answer is reassuring: sending the FWAB early and the official ballot later is the safest sequence, not a double vote.

Can the FWAB also register you to vote?

In 27 states it can. FVAP's instructions say the FWAB also serves as a registration in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

The other states' instructions do not say, and registration deadlines often fall earlier than ballot deadlines. Outside the states above, do not rely on the backup ballot to register you.

The Federal Post Card Application remains the primary route: it registers you and requests your ballot in one form. If you are not certain you are registered, send that as well and ask your local election official to confirm.

FWAB deadlines

The backup ballot is governed by your state's ballot-return deadline — the same date, and the same rule about whether it must be postmarked by then or actually arrive by then. Those rules vary widely, and several states allow a voted ballot to arrive after Election Day only if it was postmarked in time.

Check your own state's dates and accepted return methods before you send anything, and work backwards from the deadline rather than towards it.

Find your state’s ballot-return deadline

How to fill in and send the backup ballot

  1. Confirm you already requested a ballot

    The backup ballot is for voters who have sent a Federal Post Card Application and are still waiting. If you have not sent one, do that first.

  2. Fill in the form online at FVAP

    The Federal Voting Assistance Program's form filler at fvap.gov/FWAB walks you through the ballot, shows your state's own instructions and produces the finished form for you to print and sign. It is free.

  3. Write in your choices

    Fill in the federal contests — in 2026, U.S. House and U.S. Senate — and, where your state allows it, the state and local contests and ballot measures you are eligible for. Follow the form's own instructions on how to write in a name.

  4. Check how your state accepts a returned ballot

    Some states accept a voted ballot by email, fax or an online portal; others require it to travel by post, and some that offer an electronic option still require the paper copy to follow. Your state guide lists what yours accepts.

  5. Send it to your local election official

    It goes to the county or municipal office that handles your last U.S. address, not to a federal agency and not to us. If you post it from abroad, international postage is required.

  6. Return your official ballot too, if it arrives

    Complete and send the official ballot if it reaches you later. Only one of the two is counted.

The form and its official instructions come from the Federal Voting Assistance Program, a U.S. Department of Defense program and the authority on the backup ballot. The Center for U.S. Voters Abroad Turnout Project is an independent nonprofit and is not part of the federal government. Fill in your FWAB at fvap.gov/FWAB.

Common questions about the backup ballot

What is the FWAB?
The Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot, or FWAB, is a backup ballot for U.S. citizens overseas and military voters. If you requested an absentee ballot and it has not arrived as your state's deadline approaches, you can write in your choices on the FWAB and send it instead — you do not have to keep waiting.
When should I use the backup ballot?
When you have requested an absentee ballot and it has not arrived as your state's return deadline approaches. You can send it any time in the election year once you have requested a ballot — you do not have to wait until the deadline is imminent.
What is the difference between the FWAB and my regular ballot?
Your official ballot comes from your local election official and lists every contest you are entitled to vote in, with the candidates printed on it. The FWAB is the federal backup: you write in your choices, federal offices are always on it, and most states count it for state and local contests too.
What if my official ballot arrives after I send the FWAB?
Complete and return the official ballot as well. Only one of the two will be counted, so sending both does not put your vote at risk.
Can I vote in state and local races on the FWAB?
In most states, yes — you can use the FWAB for every contest you are eligible to vote in, including ballot measures. FVAP describes it as a federal-only ballot in Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming, and a few other states limit overseas citizens whose return is not certain to federal offices. In 2026 the federal offices are U.S. House and U.S. Senate. FVAP's form filler shows your state's rule.
Can the FWAB register me to vote?
In 27 states, yes: Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. Elsewhere do not count on it — registration deadlines are often earlier than ballot deadlines, and the Federal Post Card Application is the primary way to register and request your ballot. Use that if you are not certain you are registered.
When is the FWAB deadline?
It follows your state's ballot-return deadline, including whether the ballot must be postmarked by that date or physically received by it. Check your state's guide for the exact date and the accepted return methods.

The best way to avoid needing a backup ballot

Send your registration and ballot request early. It takes about seven minutes, it is free, and it is what puts an official ballot on its way to you.