Website makes voting easier for soldiers

Courtesy Photo | Louisiana National Guardsman, Sgt. Joseph Adcock, a radio transmitting operator with Alpha Company, 199th Brigade Support Battalion, 224th Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), and an Alexandria, La., native, completes the process of requesting an absentee ballot online, Sept. 16, at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Jennifer Johnson)  

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, IRAQ

09.16.2010

Courtesy Story

3rd Division Sustainment Brigade

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq— With the general election nearing, soldiers with Alpha Company, 199th Brigade Support Battalion, 224th Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), continuously work to educate themselves on the proper procedures for the absentee voting process at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq.

For the Louisiana National Guard soldiers located at COB Adder, the instruction provided by the Federal Voter Assistance Program website has been the easiest and most informative tool to stay informed and to register to vote by absentee ballot.

The Federal Post Card Application is the online process for soldiers to register to vote and request an absentee ballot. The first step in the process includes the soldier registering to vote by using the FPCA. The application is then mailed to the soldier’s local election official.

“The whole process is self-explanatory and really easy to use,” said Staff Sgt. John Schrock, a convoy escort team truck master with A Company, 199th BSB, and a Forest Hill, La., native.

Staff Sgt. Michael Humphries, an operations noncommissioned officer with A Company, 199th BSB, and a Jena, La., native, explained that in the second step of the process, the application is approved or denied, or additional information is requested.

“I did not think the process was difficult at all,” said he said.

Humphries continued by explaining that once the application is approved, the election official sends the absentee ballot to the registered voter. At this stage, the soldier is eligible to vote and return the ballot to the local election official in his or her state.

The FVAP website also provides detailed information on voting deadlines by state and territory. soldiers can check the status of their registration and ballot request by contacting their local election official. Information on where to send forms, addresses of local election officials and mail-out timelines can be found at www.fvap.gov . While in theater, soldiers can also call 312-425-1584 with questions on the voting process.

• Date Taken: 09.16.2010
• Date Posted: 10.11.2010 10:14
• Story ID: 57892
• Location: CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, IQ