Americans in France: how to vote in US midterm elections

The US is gearing up for its midterm elections on November 3, 2026, and Americans living abroad can also cast their ballot. 

In view of some complications over mailing to the US this year, it is especially important to take care with correct postage to make sure your vote counts.

After a divisive presidential election in 2024, narrow margins of victory across states showed that even a small number of votes counted. That means even the narrow subset of Americans voting from abroad could make a difference. 

To cast your vote, you should act as soon as possible – especially for those who must send their ballot by mail, due to confusion over rules on mailing to the US in some post offices. 

Earlier in the year there was a temporary suspension of the sending of parcels to the US, which some post offices reportedly extended even to the sending of ordinary letters. 

The suspension no longer applies, but French post offices will now be stricter than formerly regarding use of letter-rate post. 

If sending back documents such as your ballot, you must not include anything else in the envelope that could make it bulky and raise questions about whether it is a parcel rather than a document. 

That being said, VoteFromAbroad.fr (a website run by Democrats Abroad, that encourages Americans abroad to vote) mentions reports of some La Poste employees still refusing to send Americans’ voting ballots due to misunderstandings about the rules.    

In the midterms, voters elect: all 435 members of the House of Representatives, whose terms last two years; about one-third of the 100 Senate seats, whose terms last six years; and many state governors, state legislators and local officials, depending on the state.

They are called "midterms" because they fall midway between presidential elections. They are often seen as a referendum on the sitting president's performance and can change which party controls Congress.

The next US midterm election is on November 3, 2026.

Political identity abroad 

There are around 100,000 to 150,000 Americans in France, according to Insee, France’s statistics reporting body. 

France is increasingly becoming a popular destination for US citizens hoping to relocate, and they make up the fifth largest recipients of new French residency cards in the country. 

Democrats Abroad France and Republicans Overseas France represent Americans on either side of the political system living across the Atlantic. 

The overall number of Americans overseas is uncertain, but it is likely to be at least as many as the 4.4 million cited in a 2022 report from the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), which did not include military personnel and their families. 

Though they may be far from home, US citizens abroad still face the effects of their government’s policies. US tariffs on European goods have affected global prices and have harmed the country’s reputation in France. 

US laws can also affect their rights. For example, there was a bill introduced in Congress in 2024 that proposed allowing qualifying Americans abroad to opt into a residence-based system where they would only owe US tax on US-source income, thought it ultimately did not progress. 

Another proposed law would have banned Americans from holding dual citizenship.

Additionally, there have been proposals to make voter registration a more complicated process, notably through the SAVE Act, currently stalled in the Senate, targeted at clamping down on non-citizen voting. 

While these policies directly affect them, in reality, fewer than 10% of Americans abroad vote, said Amy Porter, spokesperson for Democrats Abroad France. Their voting help site VoteFromAbroad.org is nonpartisan and for all voters, she added.

“Make sure you use the power that you still have to vote no matter how long you've been outside the US,” Ms Porter told The Connexion. 

Most states have already held their primary elections (excluding a small minority of states with a slightly different procedure, this is when the parties choose their candidates). However,  in some – such as Rhode Island and Delaware – you still have about a month before the registration deadline is up, according to the FVAP. 

As for November’s general election, when voters choose between qualifying candidates, the deadline to register in most states is October. That being said, given lengthy postage and processing times, Ms Porter recommends starting the process now. 

We have compiled a list of four steps to cast your vote. 

Request your overseas absentee ballot 

To request a ballot, go to either the FVAP website – an official US government site – or to VoteFromAbroad.org. 

These organizations will walk you through sending the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to receive your ballot. 

You could use a regular in-state absentee ballot, but an FPCA – acting as both a registration and absentee ballot request form – protects your ballot at the federal level if there is a recount. 

Registering an address abroad that way also ensures that you will receive all the federal election ballots you are eligible for in that calendar year. 

Your ballot will either arrive by email, mail or fax, but Ms Porter recommends asking for it by email as this is quickest. Election officials are required to send your ballot at least 45 days before a federal election, according to the FVAP.  

Cast your vote 

Once you have requested your ballot, it is a good idea to check on your state or country’s website to make sure that they have recorded you as a registered voter. You can also contact the local elections office in your former US state for this information. 

This is useful, because in some states, if you have not voted in a while you may be taken off voter rolls. 

When you receive the ballot, it is best to fill it out and send it back that same day, Ms Porter said. 

Send back your ballot

Depending on your state, you may have the easy option to email your ballot or upload it online, or you may have to fax or post it. States which require posting include Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, New York, Virginia, Illinois, Pennsylvania and more. Check here for more information. 

If you must post your ballot, Ms Porter said to be aware of the potential complications around sending a flat package through La Poste. 

As stated, however, unless the package appears unusually bulky, there is no official reason why it should be rejected for posting at letter/document rate (anything bulky, on the other hand, must be sent via a parcel-post service such as Colissimo or Chronopost).

If you use a self-service kiosk and find that the US is not presented as a destination option, Ms Porter’s advice is to select Canada as the destination. 

Alternatively, you can go to the window and ask for stamps to the US. La Poste also offers an online service where you can print your own stamps at home.  

Another secure option is to send your ballot via diplomatic pouch through the US embassy. However, Ms Porter advised against this option as the pouches do not get sent as often and you may end up missing the voting deadline. 

Make sure your vote gets counted 

After sending your ballot, most states have an option for you to track it online and check its status. You can find your state’s website here. 

If you did not receive your ballot in time or you are worried it did not arrive safely, you can also send a backup ballot or Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB). 

That can be requested through the FVAP site or VoteFromAbroad.org. If the state ends up receiving both the regular and back up ballot, it will only count one. 

If you need help with the voting process, Vote From Abroad holds regular Zoom meetings for voters with questions, and they also have a help email and hotline. 

The FVAP website also has a voting assistance guide and recommends reaching out to your local election office in the US or the US embassy in France for help.