U.S. EMBASSY informational MESSAGES

VOTING INFORMATION NEWS

April 2 2008 a Vol. 18, No. 5


--Citizens voting under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) are eligible to participate in all elections for Federal offices in their state of legal residence. Many of these citizens are also eligible to vote in state and local elections. Because election laws vary from state to state, please consult the 2008-2009 Voting Assistance Guide or ask your Voting Assistance Officer (VAO) for specific information regarding your state's laws. The Guide contains state-by-state procedures for UOCAVA citizens to register and/or request an absentee ballot using the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA, SF-76). All shaded areas for your state or territory as indicated in the Guide must be completed. The Guide is available in hard copy format or on-line at www.fvap.gov.

--Things to Remember When Filling Out the Federal Postcard Application (FPCA):

* Fill out ALL blocks shaded in your state or territories' instructions in the Guide.

* When filling out Block 3, "My Voting Residence", you must include a complete street address of where you actually lived in the state or territory in which you are voting, in order for the LEO to place you in the proper voting precinct. A post office box is not appropriate. If your address includes a Rural Route, use Block 6 "Additional Information" to indicate the specific location of your residence. For example, state "2 miles south of the intersection of Route 9 and I-34."
This address should be different from your Block 4 address and must be within the county or township where you claim legal voting residence.

* When filling out Block 4.a, "Where to Send My Voting Materials", enter the complete mailing address where you are currently living and where you wish to receive your absentee ballots. This address must be different from your Block 3 address. If you will have a new mailing address by the time election materials will be sent to you, please be sure to indicate this address here.

* In order to vote in Presidential or state primaries, most states and territories require that you specify your party affiliation in Block 5.

--Refer to the Guide for specific information regarding your state's primary elections.

* If you use the online version of the FPCA, be careful where you download the form. The official online version of the FPCA is available from each Service's website. A link to the Registration and Absentee Ballot Request Form is also available at www.fvap.gov. County websites may include a version of the form to be used by citizens voting in a specific jurisdiction. Make sure you are eligible to use that form and vote in that jurisdiction before using downloading and completing the form.

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Great News for Missouri UOCAVA Voters!

The Missouri Secretary of State's Office has determined that state law allows UOCAVA voters to request an absentee ballot via e-mail directly to their local election authority.

Missouri statutes still only allow for voter registration via postal mail, as an original signature is required.

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