Chapter 1
How to vote absentee
- be a U.S. citizen
- be 18 years old
- be absent from your voting residence
What are elections?
U.S. federal elections are held so that U.S. citizens can choose someone to represent them as U.S. President, U.S. Senator, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Federal office general elections occur every two years, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Every member of the House of Representatives and about one-third of the Senate is up for reelection in any given election year. A presidential election is held every fourth year. State and local election officials administer elections in the United States.
U.S. citizens vote in several ways:
- In person -- either at the polls on election day or some time before election day.
- Absentee -- either from your legal voting residence in a state or when away from your legal voting residence.
Voting absentee?
A federal law, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) protects your right to vote for federal offices if you are:
- an active duty member of the Uniformed Services, Merchant Marine, commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
- an eligible spouse or family member of an active duty member of the Uniformed Services, Merchant Marine, commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; or
- a U.S. citizen residing outside the U.S.
This guide may also apply to you if you are:
- a member of the National Guard activated on State orders, in some states.
See state requirements in Chapter 2 Absentee voting procedures by State or territory.
This guide does NOT apply to you if:
- you are located at your voting residence on election day. Depending on your state, you may vote in-person (early or on election day), or absentee from your legal residence.
To vote locally, contact your election office, visit vote.gov or complete a National Voter Registration Form (NVRF). The NVRF may also be obtained from your Installation Voter Assistance Office (IVA Office), or from the Election Assistance Commission website (EAC.gov).
Contact your state election office or website for more information. See Chapter 2 Absentee voting procedures by state or territory for contact information.
How do you vote absentee?
There are three steps to voting absentee in an election:
Step 1: Register and request your absentee ballot using the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)
Provided under federal law, the FPCA registers you to vote and requests absentee ballots for a minimum of all federal elections in the current calendar year.
To get an FPCAHow often should I complete an FPCA? To ensure you continue to receive absentee ballots during your time away from your voting residence, be sure to submit a new FPCA every January, each time you move, or at least 90 days prior to the election you want to vote in.
Online version:
- Use the online assistant at FVAP.gov to complete your FPCA. The online assistant guides you though your state's required information to complete the form. Once you have finished, download the PDF package, print, sign, and send.
- Visit FVAP.gov to download the fillable FPCA. Complete it using your state's requirements listed in Chapter 2 of the Voting Assistance Guide. Then print, sign, and send.
- NOTE: You will need to provide an envelope to send your completed FPCA by mail. Envelope templates are available to download online at FVAP.gov.
Hardcopy version:
- Get a hardcopy FPCA from a Voting Assistance Officer (VAO), at an Installation Voter Assistance (IVA) Office at any military installation, or at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
- Make a copy of the FPCA found in this Chapter or the Appendix of the Voting Assistance Guide.
Send your completed and signed FPCA to your election official.
To find your state transmission methods, see state requirements in Chapter 2 Absentee voting procedures by state or territory.
How do I know what information must be included in the FPCA? Chapter 2 of the Voting Assistance Guide provides instructions for each state and territory for completing and transmitting the FPCA.
Step 2: Receive your absentee ballot
Your election official will process your FPCA to determine the appropriate ballot to send you. If you have questions about the status of your FPCA, contact your local election office directly. Your local election official will contact you if your application is denied or if they need additional information from you in order to process your form.
Election officials are required to send absentee ballots no later than 45 days before an election for those who are registered and have requested a ballot. If you submit your FPCA within 45 days of the election, they will send your ballot as soon as possible, upon processing your form.
All states must allow you to receive your blank absentee ballot electronically, when requested. This may include email, fax, or online download.
What if I do not receive my absentee ballot and the election is 30 days away? If you do not receive your state absentee ballot 30 days before the election, use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). Information about the FWAB can be found in Chapter 1 and in your state's pages in Chapter 2.
Step 3a: Return your voted state ballot
Vote and return your state absentee ballot as soon as you receive it with special attention to the specific methods of return authorized in your state. Follow the instructions sent with your ballot to mark and return your ballot. Pay special attention to whether or not your state requires the use of a secrecy envelope for your voted ballot.
Know the deadline. The date when your election office must receive your completed ballot is set by each state.
See state requirements in Chapter 2 Absentee voting procedures by state or territory.
Step 3b: If you do not receive your state ballot
If you do not receive your state absentee ballot in time to return it to your election office by the state deadline, use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB).
The FWAB serves as a backup ballot for voters covered by UOCAVA. The FWAB can be used in all states and territories to vote for federal offices (President/Vice President, U.S. Senate, U.S. Representative and Delegate or Resident Commissioner). Some states allow the FWAB to be used to vote for state and local offices, ballot questions, and referenda.
See state requirements in Chapter 2 Absentee voting procedures by state or territory.
To get a FWAB
What do I do if I don't know all the candidates running for office when completing the FWAB? You can write in party affiliation - name misspellings are okay. You can also contact your local election office on where to find candidate information.
Online version:
- Use the online assistant at FVAP.gov to complete the FWAB. The online assistant uses your state's requirements as you go through the process of completing the FWAB. Then, download the PDF package, print, sign, and send.
- Visit FVAP.gov to download the fillable FWAB. Complete it using the state requirements listed in Chapter 2 of the Voting Assistance Guide. Then print, sign, and send.
- NOTE: You will need to have your own envelopes to submit your completed FWAB by mail. Envelope templates are available to download online at FVAP.gov. Please pay particular attention to whether your state requires the use of a secrecy envelope for the voted ballot.
Hardcopy version:
- Get a hardcopy FWAB from a Voting Assistance Officer (VAO), at an Installation Voter Assistance (IVA) Office at any military installation, or at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
- Make a copy of the FWAB found in Chapter 1 or the Appendix of the Voting Assistance Guide.
Send your completed and signed FWAB package to your election official.
To find your state transmission methods, see state requirements in Chapter 2 Absentee voting procedures by state or territory.
If you receive your state absentee ballot after submitting the FWAB, complete and return it. If both the FWAB and state absentee ballot are received by the deadline, only one will be counted.
- Voter Information Page
- Official Backup Ballot/Ballot Secrecy Envelope
- Mailing Envelope
Send your completed and signed FWAB to your election official.
To find your state transmission methods, see state requirements in Chapter 2 Absentee voting procedures by state or territory.
Timeline of the absentee voting process:
| 1 | Register and request an absentee ballot using the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA): | January of each year |
| 2 | Receive your absentee ballot from your state election office: | 45-30 calendar days before the election |
| 3a & 3b |
Return your state absentee ballot to your state; If you do not receive your state absentee ballot, use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB): |
As soon as you receive it |
| NOTE: | If you are at sea or at other overseas locations without access to the military postal system you should send your voted ballot to your election office as soon as possible with a recommended timeframe of: | 35 calendar days before the election |
| NOTE: | If you are at an overseas military installation with access to the military postal system you should send your voted ballot to your election office as soon as possible with a recommended timeframe of: | 30 calendar days before the election |
| NOTE: | If you are a stateside Uniformed Service member or an eligible family member you should send your voted ballot to your election office as soon as possible with a recommended timeframe of: | 11 calendar days before the election |
