Military & Overseas Voting

Serving in the military or living abroad? Have an absentee ballot sent to you wherever you are in the world!

Applying

The following are able to apply:

  • Military members serving outside their home precinct.
  • Citizens living abroad temporarily or indefinitely.
  • Spouses and dependents of military members are also eligible.
  • A spouse, parent, sibling or child age 18 and over can apply on your behalf.

Military Members

Military members include:

  • Air Force
  • Army, Navy
  • Coast Guard
  • Commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Commissioned corps of the Public Health Service
  • Marine Corps
  • Merchant Marine

Federal Offices

If you are abroad indefinitely with no plans to return to Minnesota, you can vote only for federal offices.

Applying for Your Ballot

You will automatically receive a ballot for any elections you can vote in through December 31 of the year you apply. Re-apply annually and after a change of mailing address.

Your ballot application also serves as a voter registration application. You can:

Application Deadline

You can apply for a ballot any time during the year. You are encouraged to apply for your ballot as soon as you are able so that you have enough time to mail it back by Election Day.

Deadline to Return Ballot

Your ballot will not count if it is received after Election Day. Return your materials early enough to account for delivery time via mail, a package delivery service (such as FedEx or UPS) or the diplomatic pouch at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. You cannot return your ballot by email or fax.

Track Your Ballot

You can track the status of your ballot and confirm that it was received and counted.

Emergency Write-in Ballot

If you have not received voting materials in time, download and print an emergency ballot called the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) (PDF). The ballot will have blanks for you to write your choices. Your write-in ballot must be returned by Election Day.