Exercise your right to vote

  • Published
  • By 8 FW/PA
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Starting with the Nov. 2, 2010, general elections, each state must send ballots to its military voters 45 days before the election.

That "45-day" mark began Sept. 18.

Voters should receive their ballots both by traditional mail and by at least one means of electronic transmission such as e-mail, fax or online ballot posting. Some states may also have internet voting for military and overseas civilian voters.

Installation and unit voting assistance officers have "an array of voter assistance tools" to help military voters, said Norma Hipsher, 8th Fighter Wing installation voting assistance officer.

Voting assistance is usually highlighted annually by two, non-sequential weeks the Department of Defense sets aside for America to recognize the military's focus on preserving America's right to vote. The first week, Armed Forces Voters Week, was held June 28-July 7, 2010, and focused on providing voter registration and absentee ballot requests to military members and their families who are stationed away from their state of legal residence.

The second week, Absentee Voters Week, is Sept. 27-Oct. 4 and has a dual focus.

"We will work once again to encourage absentee voters to register and request absentee ballots if they have not yet done so; and we will encourage those who already have registered and received their ballots to complete their absentee ballots and return them to their local election officials," said Ms. Hipsher. "If voters have previously sent in their Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) requesting registration and an absentee ballot, but have not yet received their ballot, we offer help in filling out and sending in the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) to serve as a backup in case the regular absentee ballot doesn't reach the voter in time to fill in and return to their local election officials to be counted in the November election. If voters have not taken any steps toward registering and casting their votes, then we are encouraging them to simultaneously fill in and send in both the FPCA and the FWAB."

The Department of Defense has taken steps to make absentee voting easier for military members, their families, and overseas voters, including federal employees working overseas. Voters can visit
https://www.fvap.gov/r3/fpca/home to fill in the FPCA electronically using a wizard that assists the absentee voter in filling in the form based on their particular state and county of residence.

If voters do not receive their ballot by Oct. 2, they should use the FWAB as a back-up ballot. This form can also be completed electronically at https://www.fvap.gov/r3/fwab/home.  

"Once completed the voter then prints out the form, signs and returns it to their local election official," Ms. Hipsher said. "The wizards produce a package that includes their postage-paid envelope template, security envelope template, instructions to election officials, state-specific information and submission instructions, voter's declaration and affirmation, and write-in ballot, pre-populated with the information and candidates the voter entered in the wizard. If their state allows faxed returns, the wizard will even prepare a fax cover sheet with the fax number to the local election official!"