NEW ORLEANS, La -- As the Nov. 6 elections approach, the deadline for voters to mail in their absentee ballots also closes in. Americans can submit absentee votes in local, state and federal elections if they are a U.S. citizen, 18 years or older, and are an active-duty member of the armed forces, a family member of the above or a U.S. citizen residing outside the United States.
The final day for the ballots varies from state to state; some state deadlines are as early as Oct. 16, while other states allow their voters to turn in ballots the day before the election. The forms must be completed, printed, signed, dated and mailed directly to your local election official.
Voters can find out specific information on their state by visiting the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at http://www.fvap.gov/
Apart from each state having its own voting website, the military provides voting assistance officers for units at home and deployed. Their job is to assist military members and their families with information and forms that they need to vote as well as raise awareness throughout their units.
“It is important for our voices to be heard,” said Capt. Adam McLaurin, voting assistance officer for Marine Forces Reserve Headquarters Battalion. “It’s a right, and you’ve earned it more than most by putting on this uniform.”
More information regarding servicemembers and their families can be found on the homepage of the Marine Forces Reserve website at http://www.marforres.marines.mil/
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
How do I register to vote or request an absentee ballot?
You may register and request an absentee ballot with a single form: The Federal Post Card Application. 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. Hard copies of the form can be obtained from your installation's voting assistance officer or requested directly from the Federal Voting Assistance Program.
An online version of the Voter Registration/Absentee Ballot Request form is also available. The online version of the form must be mailed in an envelope with proper postage, or mailed using a prepaid return envelope that can be printed from the FVAP website.
Can I vote in-person where I am stationed?
Military members may vote in the U.S. state or territory where stationed if they change their legal residence to that state or territory.
What happens if I do not receive a ballot from my local election office?
If you requested an absentee ballot but have not received one close to election day, you can still vote by using the back-up Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot.
In order to be eligible to use this back-up ballot, you must:
- Be absent from your voting residence;
- Have applied for a regular ballot early enough so the request is received by the appropriate local election official not later than the state deadline; or the date that is 30 days before the general election; AND
- Have not received the requested regular absentee ballot from the state.