FVAP: making voting simple

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Mariette M. Adams
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla --  With primaries quickly approaching and presidential elections soon to follow, the topic of voting may be on the minds of many who are away from home. For service members, and their families, voting can be a perplexing task, but with the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) it does not have to be.

According to the FVAP official website, "The FVAP works to ensure service members, their eligible family members and overseas citizens are aware of their right to vote and have the tools and resources to successfully do so from anywhere in the world."

With a few quick and easy steps, military members and their families can cast their votes for all federal elections.

First, they must complete, then sign, a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) according to each state's instructions. The application covers both the registration and absentee ballot request form.

The FVAP website states that, "The FPCA can be easily completed by using the FPCA online assistant, filling out the PDF or picking up a hardcopy version from their unit voting assistance officer."

Once the application is completed, the applicant must fold, seal, address and mail the application to their local election official. A ballot will then be mailed to them.

The Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) is available for those who don't receive a ballot at least 30 days before the election.

Like the FVAP, the FWAB can be completed using the FWAB online assistant, PDF or hard copy from a unit voting assistance officer. Based on each state's instructions, complete and sign the FWAB's Voter Declaration/Affirmation form.

Once the ballot has been filled out, the applicant must place it into the security envelope or for the online FWAB, use a blank envelope labeled as "security envelope," and seal it.

Finally, the registrant must put the Voter Declaration/Affirmation form, as well as the sealed security envelope, into a "mailing envelope" or for the online FWAB, use their own envelope. They must then address and mail the envelope to their local election official.

For those who use the approved envelope template when sending in the FVAP or FWAP, free postage is available. Applicants must remember to put a return address and affix postage for foreign postage.

When moving to a new duty station, deploying overseas or returning from deployment service members can visit their Installation Voter Assistance Office (IVA Office) for assistance.

Military voters are encouraged to submit a new FPCA every year and when they move.

Unit Voting Assistance Officers (UVAO) are available to those who have questions or concerns.

"The UVAOs ensure that those covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act , to include active duty members and their eligible family members, understand their voting rights, how to register and vote absentee," said 1st Lt. Adam Love, UVAO for the 6th Comptroller Squadron and 6th Air Mobility Wing Staff Agencies. "UVAOs help those who have questions concerning absentee voting information and voting rules, provide RPCA's for registration and request ballots for primary elections."

For more information on voting and individual state instructions, go to FVAP.gov or call 703-588-1584.