CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Election Day is Nov. 11 and it's not too early for Airmen to apply for an absentee ballot if they will be away from their polling location in November.
"In the dead heat of the exciting election every military member should want to vote in the 2008 presidential election," said Maj. Karen Berkeley, 437th Medical Group installation voting officer.
An absentee ballot is required when servicemembers or their spouses live in a state other than that of their legal residence.
Servicemembers and their families must submit a Federal Post Card Application, SF-76, request for registration or absentee ballot before early September it they want to vote. The easy-to-complete form is available online at www.fvap.ncr.gov or by contacting the servicemember's unit voting officer. Each unit on base is required to have at least one unit voting officer. Send in the FPCA as soon as possible to allow for delays in transit time.
All 50 states and U.S. territories allow citizens to register and request absentee ballots by submitting a single FPCA. If applying for both registration and an absentee ballot, the FPCA may have to be mailed earlier.
"The time required to process an FPCA can take several weeks, and with the November presidential election eight months away, the time to act is now," said Major Berkeley. "Make your mark and ensure your voice is heard."
Federal law recommends that a single FPCA simultaneously serve all states and territories as both a registration form and an application for an absentee ballot. The extent and manner of its use, however, is determined by state and territorial law and sometimes by local procedure. Each state has a different deadline in order to vote via absentee ballot. Because of varying state and territorial procedures, military members should refer to the appropriate state or territorial section of the 2008-2009 Voting Assistance Guide to determine how they must complete the FPCA. Each state has its own specific office for receiving specific absentee voting material. Unit voting officers should have a copy of this guide and are trained to provide assistance.
Determining voting residency is a concern for many people. The state of voting residency is the same as the state of legal residence. For many people, this is also their home of record. The completed FPCA must be mailed to the county office in the state which they claim legal residence. This address is determined with the help from a unit voting officer and the 2008-2009 VAG.
Generally, all U.S. citizens 18 years and older who are or will be residing outside the U.S. during an election period are eligible to vote absentee in any election for federal office. In addition, all members of the Armed Forces, their family members and members of the Merchant Marine and their family members who are U.S. citizens may vote absentee in state and local elections.
Airmen should accurately complete the FPCA to correct and update current information. Any questions should be referred to a unit voting officer. See the related chart.