Overseas Absentee Ballot Request

UOCAVA

Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act

Registration

If you are a United States uniformed services member on active duty, a Merchant Marine member, spouse or dependent thereof, or a United States citizen residing outside of the United States, you can use the the National mail-in application, the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) or online at https://registertovoteflorida.gov/.

Alternatively, you may still submit a request by phone, mail, fax, or e-mail to the Supervisor of Elections to receive a voter registration application be sent to you by mail, fax or email.

Late Registration

Provided you are qualified, you can register to vote after book closing if you have:

· Been discharged or separated from the uniformed services of the U.S. Merchant Marine

· Returned from a military deployment or activation, or

· Separated from employment outside the territorial limits of the United States

Until 5:00 P.M. on the Friday prior to such election and you are otherwise qualified, you may register. Sufficient documentation showing evidence of qualifying for late registration will be required.

Vote by Mail – Absentee Ballot Request

The FPCA can be used as a voter registration application, a request for an absentee ballot or both.

The FPCA request for an absentee ballot will be effective as a request to receive an absentee ballot for all elections occurring from the date you submitted your initial request through the end of the calendar year of the second ensuing regularly scheduled general election – referred to as a “standing request” for all elections for which you are eligible.

You may submit a request by phone, mail, fax, or e-mail to the Supervisor of Elections to receive a Vote by Mail Ballot.

Delivering Vote by Mail Ballots

NO later than 45 days before each election, an absentee ballot shall be sent by the supervisor of elections to each absent uniformed services voter and to each overseas voter who has requested an absentee ballot.

If the ballot is to be mailed, the request must be received by the Supervisor no later than 6 days prior to an election.

Returning Vote by Mail Ballots

To ensure your ballot is counted:

· Postmarked or dated no later than the date of the election

· It is RECEIVED by the Supervisor of Elections no later than 7 P.M. on Election Day or, exclusive to overseas voters, no later than 10 days after the presidential preference primary and general elections only.

· Received by the Supervisor of Elections of the county in which you are registered to vote and otherwise proper

Follow the instructions for the Vote by Mail ballot carefully. Sign and date the ballot certificate

Federal Write-In Ballot Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act

If you have not received your requested Vote by Mail (absentee) ballot – a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) can be used as an emergency back-up Vote by Mail (absentee) ballot.

An absent uniformed services voter or an overseas voter may now use the FWAB in any federal, state, or local election, to include voting on judicial retention races and ballot measures.

State Write-In Ballot

State Write-In Ballots are only for general elections and the request must be submitted to your Supervisor of Elections between 180 days and 90 days (6 and 3 months) before the general election.

· How to mark you choice on the ballot:

· Write the candidates name or the name of the political party – the ballot will be counted for the candidate of the political party written, if there is such a party candidate on the ballot.

Important to Remember

· Notify the elections office of address changes so you don't jeopardize your active voter registration status – email is the best way.

· 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.

· 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.

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 [email protected].