Americans living abroad vote largely via absentee ballot.

MEDELLÍN, Colombia – Panicked calls from overseas voters usually come in November, just two or three days before the election, says Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat, founder of non-partisan Overseas Vote Foundation.

State by state: Where you can vote by mail, absentee ballot in the 2020 election.

voters living abroad remain concerned. .

Voters living abroad cast their votes largely through absentee ballots.

For others, it can be a months-long process of physically mailing voting materials through international mail.

states and territories require their overseas voters to return ballots by postal mail or dropping ballots in the diplomatic pouch at embassies.

Such lags are the leading cause of overseas ballots getting rejected, according to the Federal Voting Assistance Program.

In early August, she requested her absentee ballot through international mail.

Though she started the process early, she said she's worried that “outside forces” or long mail delays may silence her voice this election.

“There has to be a healthy postal service,” said Marylouise Serrato, the executive director of American Citizens Abroad?

American Citizens Abroad has heard from voters who sent in their ballot requests weeks ago, but still haven’t received confirmation?

Citizens living in countries with more reliable postal systems are 65% more likely to vote, FVAP data shows

This is especially true for the roughly 1 million military servicemembers eligible to vote from overseas, the majority of whom return their ballots through the post. 

Still, given the obstacles, stateside citizens are 13 times more likely to vote than citizens living abroad

In 2014, there was such little voter turnout from overseas voters, it almost felt like people didn’t know they had the right to vote from outside the country, she said. But between 2014 and 2018, civilian voting abroad jumped 322%, Election Administration & Voting Survey data shows

“I just didn't even know that voting abroad was a possibility when I was in Shanghai,” he said

“It could be very significant because if there are tight elections, the overseas vote may be the vote that tips the balance,” Serrato said