Deadlines approaching to register to vote, request absentee ballot

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Lisa Spilinek
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. --  With only 102 days left until the general election, citizens wanting to vote Nov. 4 need to take action soon to ensure they can do so.

Citizens must register to vote weeks before the election depending on their states' specific regulations. Additionally, those who aren't able to cast their ballot in person on Election Day should request an absentee ballot to enable voting regardless of their location.

For military families living outside of their state of residency, the process can seem even more complicated because where they currently live may or may not be where they will vote. Luckily, help is available.

Each unit at Hanscom has a designated voting assistance officer to assist assigned personnel with voting procedure questions, said Maj. Kris Cowart, the installation voting assistance officer.

"Helping to choose our commander in chief and congressional leaders is the right of all U.S. citizens regardless of where you live," the major said. "Since military members travel so much, however, it might seem easy to not take the time to complete the paperwork and vote, but if we don't exercise our right to vote, our voices go unheard."

Most of the registration and absentee forms along with state-specific voting process information can be found on a single Web site.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program Web site, www.fvap.gov, provides helpful information to uniformed servicemembers and citizens living outside of the U.S. on voting procedures.

The site links to each state's voting requirements as well as electronic forms that personnel can submit. Additionally, the site lists answers to commonly asked voting questions to include the following:

Can I vote absentee?
All U.S. citizens, 18 or older who are or will be residing outside the United States during an election period are eligible to vote absentee in any election for Federal office.
All members of the uniformed services, their family members and members of the Merchant Marines and their family members, who are U.S. citizens, may also vote absentee in federal, state and local elections.

Where is my legal voting residence?
For voting purposes, a "legal voting residence" can be the state or territory where the military member last resided prior to entering military service or the state or territory that people have since claimed as their legal residence. To claim a new legal residence the military member must have simultaneous physical presence and the intent to return to that location as their primary residence.

Military and family members may change their legal residence every time they change permanent duty stations or they may retain their legal residence without change.
Family members may have a different legal voting residence from the member. Be sure to enter the complete address of the legal voting residence, including street or rural route and number, when completing the residence section of the Federal Post Card Application. Even though family members may no longer maintain formal ties such as property ownership to that residence, the address is needed to place them in a proper voting district, ward, precinct or parish.

Can I vote where I am stationed?
Military members may vote in the state or territory where stationed if they change their legal residence to that state or territory, even if they live on a military installation. There are legal obligations that may be incurred, such as taxation, if they change their state or territory of residence. Therefore, consult a legal officer before making such a decision. There are currently no provisions for personnel stationed outside the United States to vote, in person, where stationed.

For more information, visit www.fvap.gov or contact your unit voting representative.