U.S. EMBASSY informational MESSAGES

SUBJECT: Tennessee Authorizes Use of FWAB and Extends Ballot Receipt Deadline for UOCAVA Voters Who Live Overseas

For February 5, 2008 Presidential Primary


Tennessee has been authorized by a federal court to extend by ten days the deadline for returning ballots cast by overseas military and overseas civilian voters to the local election official for the upcoming February 5, 2008 Presidential Primary only. Because some ballots were delayed, ballots (including Federal Write-in Absentee Ballots) will be accepted from Uniformed Service members stationed overseas, eligible family members, and U.S. citizens residing outside the U.S., provided the ballot is postmarked by Election Day (February 5, 2008) and so long as the ballot is received by the close of business on February 15, 2008. If voters have not received their ballots from the local election officials, they are authorized to vote a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot as provided below.

All Tennessee residents that are covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) also may vote in the February 5th Presidential Primary Election using the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). The FWAB ballot allows a qualified person to vote for all the offices and measures that would appear on their precinct ballot, as if they were voting in-person. A FWAB that is submitted by a UOCAVA voter will be considered the citizen’s cast ballot. Voters also are asked to vote their Tennessee state ballot and mail it as soon as they receive it.

Tennessee residents who have requested an absentee ballot but have not received their ballot should submit the FWAB as soon as possible. In Tennessee, you may only vote in either the Democratic or Republican Presidential Primary. Presidential candidates on the Democratic and Republican ballots can be found at http://tennessee.gov/sos/election/2008PPPCandidateList.pdf. Those voting in the Republican Party election may also vote for a Delegate to the Republican National Convention. A list of these candidates can be found at: http://tennessee.gov/sos/election/2008PPPDelegatesList.pdf

After writing in the name of the selected candidate, the ballot must then be placed in the Security Envelope. The Security Envelope and the signed Voter’s Declaration/-Affirmation should be placed in an envelope and mailed to the voter’s County Election Commission. The online version of the FWAB is available from the FVAP website at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/onlinefwab.html. A postage paid envelope is available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/returnenvelope.pdf. The envelope may be printed on a No. 10 size business envelope or blank sheet of paper and then should be secured to the voted ballot package and mailed to the county election official. A list of Tennessee county officials and addresses is available at: http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/vag/pdfvag/tn.pdf

Questions regarding the above may also be referred to the Director, Federal Voting Assistance Program, Department of Defense, 1155 Defense Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 20301-1155, vote@fvap.ncr.gov and on the World Wide Web at www.fvap.gov or to the Coordinator of Elections, Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office at (615) 741-7956.

January 2008