| Voting rights extend to United States citizens overseas even though they may no longer own property or have other ties to their last state of residence, and even if their intent to return to that state may be uncertain.
A United States citizen’s "legal state of residence" for voting purposes is the state where he or she last resided immediately prior to departure from the United States. For those who have never resided in the U.S., seventeen states to date, allow eligible U.S. citizens to register where a parent would be eligible to vote.
All U.S. citizens aged 18 years or older may register to vote by absentee ballot for U.S. elections. Overseas registrations are accepted by most state officials up to 30-45 days prior to a General Election.
Generally, U.S. citizens who are or will be residing outside the United States during an election period are eligible to vote by absentee ballot in any election for Federal Office. This includes primary, run-off, and special elections that occur throughout the year, as well as the general election in November. Some states allow overseas voters to vote in elections for state and local offices, and for state and local referenda.
Non-partisan information about registration,the voting process, candidates, their voting records, and their positions on issues is easily available via the Internet.
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