Legacy Foundation Japan’s Guide to Voting for U.S. Service and Overseas Citizens

Posted On September 3, 2020

Laurie Inouye cherry blossoms headshot

Laurie Ly

Community Organizer

According to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Federal Voting Assistance Program for service and overseas citizens, there are roughly 2.9 million people living abroad that are eligible to vote in the United States and only 5% of these voters vote¹ ( compared to the 60.2%² of voter turnout domestically).

At the Legacy Foundation Japan, we recognize that in order to build stronger legacies for our children and communities, we must also honor the legacies that have been built by the generations before us. Therefore, as most of us are Black Americans, it is imperative that we take advantage of our right to vote for the better of our country as the policies have ripple effects on the world around us, even in Japan.

Most states’ deadlines for voter registration are in EARLY OCTOBER.

Most states’ deadlines for voter registration are in EARLY OCTOBER. Due to things like the pandemic resulting in embassy closures and issues with global mail disruptions, voters who are living abroad are facing more obstacles this year than usual. We strongly urge everyone to begin the process of registering to receive absentee ballots or double-checking their voting statuses TODAY.

Below is a guide that we’ve put together to help our fellow Americans ensure that they are registered and will be able to vote in November.

“Negro voting in Cardoza [i.e., Cardozo] High School in [Washington,] D.C. / [MST].” Original black and white negative by Marion S. Trikosko. Taken November 3rd, 1964, Washington D.C, United States. Provided by Library of Congress and Unseen Histories.

“[Marchers with signs at the March on Washington, 1963]” Original black and white negative by Marion S. Trikosko. Taken August 28th, 1963, Washington D.C, United States. Provided by Library of Congress and Unseen Histories.

“[View of the huge crowd from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument, during the March on Washington]” Original black and white negative by Warren K. Leffler. Taken August 28th, 1963, Washington D.C, United States. Provided by Library of Congress and Unseen Histories.

We know that it can be hard to be overseas and also sometimes difficult to comprehend why it is important to vote, especially when many of the issues do not affect us here in Japan. However, that is a false belief.

For Service and Overseas Citizens who lived in the United States

Accessing the Federal Post Card Application

  1. Go to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Federal Voting Assistance Program’s website at www.fvap.gov. In the section “Looking for something specific?” under the main banner, choose from the drop-down menu the state in which you last resided in the United States.
  2. On your State’s page, select the “Downloadable PDF” to download the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) from the next page. You can fill out this form using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
  3. Print out the form and sign it with your signature.
  4. Make a copy, one for your records and one to send back to the State.

Sending it to your State’s Voting Office

  1. As guidelines for returning the FPCA differs, we highly recommend contacting your state’s voting office to confirm whether or not the FPCA can be mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to them. You can do this by searching for their office from the FVAP’s website: www.fvap.gov/search-offices
  2. Choose your state and jurisdiction and contact them either by phone (recommended) or through the email provided.
  3. Follow instructions to mail, fax, or email the FPCA to them and wherever you can, collect information such as tracking numbers or confirmation emails to ensure that it has been received.
    1. If you have not heard from them within 10 business days, contact them again to double-check your registration.

For Service and Overseas Citizens who have never lived in the United States

You can still register to vote if you are a citizen of the United States based on where your parents have last lived in the United States. Unfortunately, since policies vary by state, you may only be allowed to vote in a more limited capacity (such as only for federal offices). See the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s website for more information on each State and contact each state directly by calling them or emailing them. You can do this by searching for their office from the FVAP’s website: www.fvap.gov/search-offices

We also recommend contacting the United States Embassy for any documents to prove U.S. citizenship such as passports or birth certificates.

Closing Thoughts

We know that it can be hard to be overseas and also sometimes difficult to comprehend why it is important to vote, especially when many of the issues do not affect us here in Japan. However, that is a false belief.

Many times, we do not recognize the government and its work until something goes wrong. It is also vital to recognize that our ancestors fought for the right to vote, the most fundamental way to participate in our Democracy. By voting, we honor their legacy by using the rights they fought for us to have.

Written by Laurie Inouye

Laurie is an American Chinese/Vietnamese woman currently living in Tokyo. She grew up in Philly and Seattle, was an intersectional community organizer advocating for racial justice, immigrant rights, economic justice, housing justice, and public health. Managed nonprofit startups. Former Server at Soul Food House. Will work for Sweet Tea and/or pictures of puppies/dogs.

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