Roughly 6 million Americans live overseas, according to the U.S. State Department, although different sources estimate anywhere from 5.5 to 9 million, and all agree that the number continues to grow. According to a Seattle Times article on the “boom” in emigration, reasons for leaving the country are varied (job opportunities, love, cost of living, retirement….) and seldom straightforward. In 2025, however, the polarized political environment in the U.S. was increasingly cited as an influential factor by some Americans deciding to move abroad.
Americans inevitably realize that no matter how far abroad they wander, they can’t escape their status as U.S. citizens (something we are reminded of every time we travel with our blue passports, file taxes or submit the FBAR). Fortunately, among the rights and responsibilities of citizenship is the precious right to vote for the lawmakers who will make the laws that impact us, our country, and the world.
In 1975, previously disenfranchised U.S. citizens were guaranteed the right to vote from abroad with the Overseas Citizens Voting Rights Act, which was signed into law by President Gerald Ford. This was strengthened in 1986 by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), signed by President Ronald Reagan. UOCAVA voters include U.S. military personnel and civilian citizens. In many states, this also includes U.S. passport holders who were born overseas, even if they have never resided in the country. Nonetheless, federal legislation does not ensure a streamlined, uniform experience: remember that in the U.S., elections are administered by the states. The 50 states have 50 different ballot request and return procedures and deadlines, the quality and availability of information vary widely, and—for those who must use it—postal mail service can be unreliable. While all overseas voters can vote in federal elections (presidential and congressional), many states require voters to indicate their intention to return, which determines whether they can vote in state and local elections. See this page for more detailed information.
The Majority of Overseas Americans Must Re-Register to Vote Every Election Year
As a U.S. citizen living temporarily or permanently overseas, you will likely need to submit a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) in order to re-register in an election year. Some states may be flexible with this requirement, sending ballots to previously registered overseas voters regardless of whether or not they have re-registered. However, other states have announced that they will remove all voters who had voted from overseas in a previous election from the rolls. [We cannot even provide a reliable list of those states, as it’s a moving target.] Thus in 2026, more than ever, we recommend that all U.S. citizens living overseas send in an FPCA to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Don’t leave for tomorrow what you can do today. The FPCA, an online registration/ballot request form, takes five to 10 minutes to complete and submit. It should be filed with enough time to allow your local (in the US) election official to process it and resolve any issues. The FPCA is valid for all elections held in that calendar year, ensuring that you will receive ballots for all primary, general and special elections that you may otherwise not be aware of. If your address or other information changes during the year, simply resubmit the form.
The process may seem confusing, but the Democrats Abroad are here to help! The nonpartisan online registration tool VoteFromAbroad.org makes it easy to fill out and submit the FPCA. The website is available in English and Spanish, and most voters complete the form online in under ten minutes. Your personal details are not saved after the session, guaranteeing your privacy. If you have doubts or questions, consult the FAQs or click on the support button in the lower righthand corner of the screen. Above all, be sure to request that your ballot be sent to you by email or fax, as increasingly unreliable postal service may affect the timely receipt and return of your ballot.
Here in Barcelona and around Catalunya, teams of volunteers will be available throughout 2026 to answer questions and provide assistance. An in-person voter registration assistance event in Barcelona on January 15th kicks off the International Voter Registration Drive. Additional events are planned in Sitges, Maresme, Tarragona and Girona in the following weeks and months. Later in the spring, the organization will be visiting international schools, ASB and BWN meetings, and other groups, events and places with a high American presence. Contact Democrats Abroad if you would like a certified representative to bring voter assistance to your group or event. If you have a business that caters to Americans and are willing to put up posters or distribute business cards, send an email to info-es-barcelona@democratsabroad.org. And if you are interested in getting trained as a voter registration assistant in Barcelona, please contact Democrats Abroad.
2026 Midterm Elections: A Battle for Control of Congress
This is an important election year in the U.S., with the entire House of Representatives, one-third of the Senate, 36 governorships, and many state and local offices in play.
According to U.S. government data, in 2024, election offices in 49 states, four U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia transmitted 1.3 million ballots to UOCAVA voters; slightly more than 800,000 of those were returned and submitted for counting. This was a 13% decrease in overseas voter participation compared to the record-breaking election of 2020. Sadly, we know that overseas voter participation in midterm elections tends to be significantly lower than during presidential election years. But this year, we aim to break that trend!
According to the latest available data from Spain’s Instituto Nacional de Estadística, there were more than 8,100 U.S. citizens living in the province of Barcelona, 641 in Girona, 413 in Tarragona, and 115 in Lleida as of January 1, 2022. The goal is to reach as many of those Americans as possible and encourage them to vote in 2026. There is so much at stake in this midterm election—issues that affect Americans no matter where in the world we live: political instability, economic inequality, the environment, human rights, education, access to health care, voting rights, taxation, immigration, not to mention the immediate and long-term direction of American democracy. Your vote matters, now more than ever. Register today at VoteFromAbroad.org, and take the first step toward exercising your rights and patriotic duty as an American.