Voting Assistance: What you should know

  • Published
  • By Federal Voting Assistance Program
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. --  Can I vote absentee?

You can vote absentee in local, State, and Federal elections if you are a U.S. citizen 18 years or older and are an active duty member of the Armed Forces, Merchant Marine, Public Health Service, NOAA, a family member of the above, or a U.S. citizen residing outside the United States.

Do I have to be registered to vote absentee?

Requirements vary from State to State. Most States and territories require registration to vote absentee. Voter registration and absentee ballot request can be done at the same time by submitting the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).

How do I register to vote and/or request an absentee ballot?

You may register and request an absentee ballot with a single form: The Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).

This application form is accepted by all States and territories and is postage- paid in the U.S. mail, including the Military Postal System and State Department Pouch mail.
If mailing through a foreign postal system, you must affix the proper postage. Be sure to write "USA" after the city, State, and Zip Code of the election office.

Hard copies of the form can be obtained from your installation's Voting Assistance Officer or requested directly from FVAP. An online version of the FPCA is available at: www.fvap.gov, along with a prepaid return envelope template.

Your Federal Post Card Application must be completed, printed, signed, dated, and submitted directly to your local election official. Some States allow it to be submitted electronically. Check www.fvap.gov to see what your State allows.

Where is my "legal voting residence"?

For voting purposes, "legal voting residence" can be the State or territory where you last resided prior to entering military service OR the State or territory that you have since claimed as your legal residence.

Even though you may no longer maintain formal ties to that residence, the address determines your proper voting jurisdiction. To claim a new legal residence, you must have simultaneous physical presence and the intent to return to that location as your primary residence.

Uniformed Service members and their eligible dependents may change their legal residence every time they change permanent duty stations, or they may retain their legal residence without change. This may mean that the Uniformed Service member has a different legal voting residence than his/her family members. A Judge Advocate General officer or legal counsel should be consulted before legal residence is changed because there are usually other factors that should be considered besides voting.

Can I register and vote in-person where I am stationed?

Uniformed Service members may register and vote in the U.S. State or territory where stationed if they change their legal residence to that State or territory, even if they live on a military installation. Be advised that there may be legal obligations, such as taxation, if you change your State of residence. Therefore, consult a Judge Advocate General officer or legal counsel before making such a decision.

Currently, there are no provisions for in-person voting or on-site registration for personnel stationed outside the U.S. Voting Assistance Officers can assist personnel and family members in completing the Federal Post Card Application or other election materials for their State and provide other absentee voting information.

My family members are not in the military. Can they also vote absentee?

Yes. Eligible spouses and children (U.S. citizens, 18 years or older) of Uniformed Service personnel may vote absentee. Some States allow children of military personnel residing overseas who are U.S. citizens but who have never resided in the U.S. to claim one of their U.S. citizen parent's legal State of residence as their own. Check out www.fvap.gov for a list of States allowing this.

Where do I send my Federal Post Card Application?

Your Federal Post Card Application must be completed, printed, signed, dated, and submitted directly to your local election official. These officials will handle the processing and distribution of your absentee ballots and may need to contact you for further information or clarification. To facilitate this process, please provide a current email address, phone and fax number on your application.

When mailing election materials to my State or territory, do I have to pay postage?
When mailed from any U.S. post office, U.S. embassy or consulate, or APO/FPO mail facility, the hardcopy Federal Post Card Application is postage-paid. In order to receive free postage, the online version of the form must be mailed.