Overseas Absentee Ballot Request

· The Federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and conforming state legislation cover active duty members of the US armed forces, the merchant marine, spouses and dependents of all, and US citizens residing overseas.

· They register to vote and request Vote by Mail ballots with a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) which may be obtained from a Voting Assistance Officer (VAO) or at www.fvap.gov, the web site of the Federal Voting Assistance Program.

· Vote by Mail ballot requests from these voters will be effective for all elections throught the next two regulary scheduled general elections.

· UOCAVA voters may also use the Florida Voter Registration Application, notate their military status, and the same privileges would apply to them.

· Military voters residing within the county in which they wish to register should use the Florida Voter Registration Application and indicate their military status, so the Supervisor may insure their UOCAVA status when they move out of the county but wish to maintain voting residency.

· Overseas voters (those with an APO, FPO or foreign address only) may have Vote by Mail ballots mailed, faxed or emailed.

· Ballots can be returned by fax, but not by email. Access to faxed ballots in the elections office is extremely restricted and ballots are immediately placed in secrecy envelopes. Only the Voter's Certificate, which must be signed and dated, is examined.

· For those overseas voters who provide an email address, we will advise them of the races by email at least 30 days prior to an election. We Encourage all UOCAVA voters to include their email address on any forms or correspondence, and to update them along with mailing addresses whenever they move.

The most important thing to remember is to notify the elections office of address changes so you don't jeopardize your active voter registration status, and email is the best way. Additional information for UOCAVA voters is available from the Federal Voting Assistance Program, toll-free 1-800-438-8683, fax 1-800-368-8683, and email vote@fvap.gov.