Arizona Overseas Voting Guide
If Arizona is your last U.S. residence, this is where your ballot comes from — no matter what country you live in now, and however long you have been away. The deadlines below are for the November 3, 2026 federal general election.
Arizona deadlines at a glance
Arizona deadlines at a glance
Election Day
Nov 3, 2026
Register to vote
Passed3 voter types ↓Deadlines as early as
Oct 5, 2026
Received by Oct 5, 2026.
Varies by voter type — see below
Request your ballot
PassedDeadline
Nov 3, 2026
at 7 PM Arizona time
Received by Nov 3, 2026 at 7 PM Arizona time.
Return your voted ballot
PassedDeadline
Nov 3, 2026
at 7 PM Arizona time
Received by Nov 3, 2026 at 7 PM Arizona time.
These dates and process details come from the Federal Voting Assistance Program's 2026–27 Voting Assistance Guide, the U.S. Department of Defense's official source for Arizona. Some deadlines below were checked against Arizona's election office, by email to our legal review, and Arizona Revised Statutes 16-103 and differ from the federal guide. Deadlines can change after it is published, so confirm anything you are close to with your local election official.
Registering and requesting your ballot
Request your Arizona ballot
One federal form registers you and requests your absentee ballot. Overseas voters file it again every election year, even if you voted last time.
Arizona asks new registrants for the last four digits of your Social Security number or a state-issued ID or driver's license number.
Ballot request deadline: November 3, 2026 at 7 PM Arizona time.
Use the backup ballotRegister to voteearliest Oct 5, 20263 voter types
Arizona sets this deadline differently depending on the kind of overseas voter you are.
Uniformed service members and their families
Received by Nov 3, 2026 at 7 PM Arizona time
Citizens overseas who intend to return
Received by Nov 3, 2026 at 7 PM Arizona time
Citizens overseas who are uncertain if they will return
Received by Oct 5, 2026
Receiving your ballot
Once Arizona accepts your form, it sends you your ballot. Federal law required states to send ballots to overseas voters by September 19, 2026 for requests already on file. A request made now is sent once it is processed.
What your Arizona ballot email looks like
- From
- Your county recorder's office. The address and subject line vary by county.
- Inside
- A link to Arizona's secure ballot portal, where you mark your ballot, sign the affidavit and attach any documents.
Not in your inbox? Search your whole mailbox, spam and junk included, for Recorder and your county's name. What to do if it still has not arrived
From the Arizona Secretary of State's office and Arizona's published election rules, September 2026.
Still waiting for your ballot?
Let us know. We track delivery issues and raise them with election officials.
Returning your Arizona ballot
Arizona accepts a voted ballot through its online portal, or by email or fax, as well as by post. Sending it that way skips international mail, which can take several weeks each way. You can return your ballot through Arizona's online portal if you asked for it by email or online: your county recorder's office emails you the link with your ballot.
Return your ballot according to the instructions that came with it — the envelopes, the signature and any witness or ID requirement are set by your state. If anything is missing or you are not sure what they want, your local election official is the person to ask.
5 ways to return it — choose one
State online portal
FastestUpload your voted ballot through the state's online portal. The link and your login details come with your ballot.
You can return your ballot through Arizona's online portal if you asked for it by email or online: your county recorder's office emails you the link with your ballot.
Received by Nov 3, 2026 at 7 PM Arizona time
Scan or photograph your voted ballot and any forms in your packet, and email them to your election office. The address and any cover sheet come with your ballot.
Received by Nov 3, 2026 at 7 PM Arizona time
Fax
FastestFax your voted ballot and any forms in your packet to your election office. The number comes with your ballot.
Fax it yourself: a commercial online fax service, such as Dropbox Fax, sends a PDF from your phone or computer.
Emailed your ballot to FVAP in a past election? That service ended in August 2025. Emails to its old address still go through, but nothing is faxed.
Received by Nov 3, 2026 at 7 PM Arizona time
Post
Post your voted ballot in the return envelope from your packet. International postage from your country applies, and delivery takes two to three weeks from most places.
Received by Nov 3, 2026 at 7 PM Arizona time
By courier — DHL, FedEx or UPS
Faster, costs moreA courier takes a few days instead of a few weeks and gives you tracking. It costs more than international postage, and how much depends on the country you are sending from.
Same deadlines as returning by post:
Received by Nov 3, 2026 at 7 PM Arizona time
After you send it
- Check it arrived
If you return it through the portal, you get an email when it is received. You can also look it up at my.arizona.vote.
- If there is a problem
- If your signature does not match, your county recorder will contact you, and you can fix it until the fifth business day after the election. A missing signature must be added by 7 PM on Election Day.
From the Arizona Secretary of State's office and Arizona's published election rules, September 2026.
Additional resources
The official places to check your ballot, reach the office that handles it, and read the rules in full.
Arizona overseas voting questions
What is the Arizona ballot deadline for overseas voters?
Received by November 3, 2026 at 7 PM Arizona time.
What if my Arizona ballot has not arrived?
If your ballot has not arrived and your deadline is close, the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot is the federal backup ballot. You can fill it in for federal offices and send it now; if your real ballot turns up later, complete and return that too — only one of them is counted. In Arizona, the backup ballot can also register you to vote, though registration deadlines may fall earlier than ballot deadlines.
How will my Arizona ballot arrive?
Your county recorder's office emails you a link to Arizona's secure ballot portal, where you mark your ballot, sign the affidavit and attach any documents. The sender and subject line vary by county.
Can I email or fax my ballot back in Arizona?
Yes. Arizona accepts a voted ballot through its online portal, or by email or fax, as well as by post. You can return your ballot through Arizona's online portal if you asked for it by email or online: your county recorder's office emails you the link with your ballot.
Can I still email my Arizona ballot to fax@fvap.gov?
No. The Federal Voting Assistance Program ended that email-to-fax service in August 2025. Emails to the address still go through without an error, but nothing is faxed to your election office. If you fax, send it to the office yourself: a commercial online fax service, such as Dropbox Fax, sends a PDF from your phone or computer.
When is the Arizona registration deadline for overseas voters?
As early as October 5, 2026.
How do I check that my Arizona ballot was counted?
Arizona offers an online ballot-status lookup where you can check that your ballot was sent and that your voted ballot came back. Here's the link: Check your Arizona ballot status (opens in a new tab)
What if there is a problem with my returned Arizona ballot?
If your signature does not match, your county recorder will contact you, and you can fix it until the fifth business day after the election. A missing signature must be added by 7 PM on Election Day.
Who is my local election official in Arizona?
Your local election official is the county or municipal office that handles registration and ballots for your last U.S. address in Arizona. You can look up their contact details on our election-office finder.
More questions?
Our team answers questions from overseas voters every day. Ask us anything this page did not cover.
Ready to request your Arizona ballot?
One form registers you and requests your ballot.