Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Drace Wilson | 240722-N-NC885-1019 NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain (July 22, 2024) Chief Aviation...... read more read more
As the United States of America gears up for a big year with the presidential elections, Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota personnel – active duty, family members and U.S. civilians – can exercise their right to vote by requesting an absentee ballot. The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) extends federal absentee voting rights to Service members, their eligible family members, and overseas citizens.
“Voting is a constitutional right and as citizens we have the power to choose who we want to represent us in local, state and federal governments in making key decisions that affect every part of our lives,” said Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Natalia Fraser, Installation Voting Assistance Officer (IVAO) for NAVSTA Rota. “Recent elections have been decided by a margin of victory of less than 0.1%. Every vote counts!”
While the process is not complicated, Fraser explained that the steps for voting absentee are a bit different.
The first step is to visit the FVAP website at www.fvap.gov and complete the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), or SF-76, to apply to register and request an absentee ballot. For overseas voters, this includes the last physical address in the United States regardless of whether you own property in that state, intend to return, or the address is no longer a residential. She also emphasizes that for service members it is not always your home of record, but the last address you were domiciled immediately prior to leaving the United States or typically the same address as the one listed on your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES).
“You need a voting residence to vote by absentee ballot — even if you are only voting for federal offices,” said Fraser. “Your election office needs your exact voting residence address to determine which offices and candidates you are eligible to vote for — and to send you the appropriate ballot for your voting precinct.”
The completed form is then submitted to the applicant’s local election official. The local election official reviews the FPCA and after verifying eligibility sends an absentee ballot. The applicant can then vote on the ballot and return it to the local election official before the deadline. Based on the state, the ballot can be returned via postage-paid mail, fax, or email.
While the presidential election is not until Tuesday Nov. 5, Fraser encourages personnel to start and register now.
“We recommend that you send in an FPCA at least 90 days before the election in which you want to vote, but even as deadlines approach we always encourage you to submit as state laws vary and you may qualify for a ballot containing only federal offices,” said Fraser. She also states that UOCAVA citizens should submit a new FPCA application every January and each time they move.
A frequent question is what if the ballot does not arrive in time. In those instances, Fraser explained that there is also a process in place to allow the person to vote.
“If applicants have not received an absentee ballot 30 days before the election, they should complete and submit the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) to ensure that their vote is received in time to be counted. This form can also be found on the FVAP website,” she said.
For more information on voting while stationed overseas, start with the FVAP website, www.fvap.gov, and it will link you to your home state’s page for registering to vote and requesting an absentee ballot. For specific questions, you can contact Fraser at natalia.l.fraser.mil@us.navy.mil.
As the "Gateway to the Mediterranean," NAVSTA Rota provides U.S, NATO and allied forces a strategic hub for operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. NAVSTA Rota is a force multiplier, capable of promptly deploying and supporting combat-ready forces through land, air and sea, enabling warfighters and their families, sustaining the fleet and fostering the U.S. and Spanish partnership.
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.30.2024 08:33 |
| Story ID: | 477320 |
| Location: | ES |
| Web Views: | 89 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Exercise Your Right to Vote While Stationed Overseas, by Courtney Pollock, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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