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Subscribe to RSSMembers of the armed forces face a unique set of logistical challenges when serving in other states or countries: many lack the ability to simply go to the DMV to renew their driver’s licenses, filing taxes can be complex and voting in elections can be even more confusing.
"It is critically important to ensure that every voter entitled to an absentee ballot is given every chance to receive one,” said John Conklin, a spokesman for the New York State Board of Elections.
According to the 2010 Post Election Survey Report to Congress, 85 percent of active duty military members were registered to vote, compared with 65 percent of the civilian voting age population. Due to the dilemmas associated with members of the military voting, approximately 120,000 active duty military personnel indicated they never received the absentee ballot they requested.
Here’s a brief guide to the voting process as it relates to service men and women:
Why do states have different voting requirements?
The Constitution gives each state the right to determine the "time, place, and manner" of all elections, including federal elections. As a result, there is great variation from state to state.
“FVAP (Federal Voting Assistance Program) strongly supports the adoption of the Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act (UMOVA) as offered by the interstate Uniform Law Commission,” said Defense Department spokeswoman Eileen Lainez.
“UMOVA sets uniform deadlines for receiving registration forms and ballot applications, and sets a minimum standard for electronic transmission of registration forms and blank ballots.”
Seven states — Colorado, North Dakota, Nevada, Utah, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Virginia — and the District of Columbia have adopted UMOVA. In Hawaii, the measure has passed the legislature and is awaiting the governor's signature.
Do I have to vote in my home of record’s election?
Short answer: no. But remember that a service member’s home of record and home of residence are two different things.
The home of record only applies to the state where a person physically entered the armed services and has nothing to do with where they reside, said Debi McGlothlin, the assistant installation voting officer at Kentucky’s Fort Campbell.
“You can live in Arizona but go on vacation to Minnesota and decide to join the army from there. The Army will hold your home of record to Minnesota, but your residency on your LES (Leave and Earnings Statement) is going to be Arizona.”
When in doubt, check your LES — the military version of a paystub. Then you’ll know what state you should be voting in.
How do I register to vote?
Service men and women should fill out Federal Post Card Application online, which serves as a voter registration form and an absentee ballot request. As part of this form, a “U.S. address for voting purposes” is required. This is your legal U.S. state of residence, as generally specified on your LES.
It can be more confusing for spouses and eligible dependents to determine their state of residence. A wife or husband won’t receive their own LES spelling that information out.
Family members and spouses should visit your post’s Installation Voter Assistance Office for help determining which state they should vote in.
You can also check individual state residency requirements online.
FVAP.gov provides direct links to all 55 states and territories election websites where additional information is often available.
Can’t remember if you’re registered at another location?
After multiple moves it can be confusing to remember where you last registered to vote. If you think you registered at your home of record or another state you’ve lived in, there are multiple ways to check.
“FVAP.gov is the 2012 election resource for military service members and overseas citizens,” said Lainez of the Defense Department. “Everything service members need this election season is available.”
The site provides access to online registration and absentee ballot request systems, state-specific information and more.
Additionally, members of the military and their families can get direct contact information for more than 7,800 local election offices, including names, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and where they can check their prior voter registration status.
Am I an absentee voter?
You can vote absentee in local, state and federal elections if you are a U.S. citizen 18 years or older and are an active-duty service member (or dependent) and do not physically live in the state where you registered to vote.
In order to request to vote absentee it’s important to fill out the Federal Post Card Application.
FVAP recommends that voters register to vote and request an absentee ballot in January of each year, or at least 90 days before Election Day.
“The ability for overseas voters to receive their ballot via e-mail has placed the ballot in their hands much earlier in the process and helped alleviates the problem of ballots being mailed back too late to be counted,” said Conklin from the New York State Board of Elections. “For the 2010 election we had the highest number of voters take advantage of the e-mail system to receive their ballots.”
Military members and their families can get additional help from nearly 10,000 assistance officers worldwide. Service members may locate a nearby Installation Voting Assistance Office here.
“It is absolutely vital to have as much information as possible available online especially for the military and overseas voting community who can't just pick up the phone and call and ask questions,” Conklin said.
I can’t guarantee the ballot will return in time, or it never arrived.
While the postal service system is dependable to fixed locations overseas, like South Korea or Germany, having the additional challenge of service members constantly relocating around Afghanistan and other hostile areas can mean lengthy delays in delivering mail.
States and territories are required to mail ballots at least 45 days before an election. If you have not received your ballot 30 days before the election, contact your local election official.
You can also vote using the back-up Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot. But in order to be eligible to use this back-up ballot, you must be absent from your voting residence and have applied for a regular ballot before that state’s deadline or 30 days before the general election. Also, in order to choose this option you must not have received the original absentee ballot as requested.
If in doubt, contact your unit’s voting officer. Fort Campbell's McGlothlin said all units have a voting officer with them when they deploy who take the tools necessary — the hard copies of books and forms — along with them.
“They’re all educated and they’re all geared up to go, in their tough boxes, when they get on the plane,” she added.
Making your vote count
Unlike the employees of most companies, every eligible voter in the military and their family can vote for their actual commander in chief.
The men and women of our military are defending the interests of the United States all over the globe and a great deal of effort has been put forth to ensure they still have a voice at the ballot box on Election Day, McGlothlin said.
“They fight for this right and they need to use it, it’s their voice that’s going to make their lives easier.”
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Leave a Comment:
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Look for the military to be thwarted at every chance.
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At least they won't have any trouble showing photo ID.
Not unless they are African-American. Service members typically vote republican which is why processes are being put in place to make it easier for them. It may be a different story for retired military seniors. It is notable that absentee voting enables a much better opportunity for voter fraud, yet it is not touched by recent voter ID laws. Early voting, on the other hand has been restricted even for those with a valid ID. How does this reduce voter fraud? Sometimes things are what they seem.
Some states throw out military ballots all together. Look what happened in Wa.
The democrats want to talk about voter suppression, ok, stop throwing away military ballots.
"...or at least 90 days before Election Day."
Glad you brought it up now. Any more helpful hints?
In Florida in the 2000 election the Gore people tried to have absentee ballots from the military that arrived after election day invalidated because they did not contain postmarks proving when they had been mailed. The law requires that absentee ballots be postmarked by election day in order for them to be valid. The problem is that mail from overseas that is coming out of smaller bases and remote stations is not always postmarked. Generally, only military mail that originates at a base that actually has a base post office gets a postmark, the rest does not. Since the military tends to vote far more for republicans than democrats, Gore thought he would gain an advantage if he could get these non-postmarked absentee ballots tossed out. Luckily the election commission refused to go along with this tactic and insisted that the military absentee ballots were valid and should be counted. I found it disgusting that someone who felt he was qualified to be the commander in chief of the armed forces would take such actions to prevent the votes of service members serving overseas from being counted. It showed me that Gore had no integrity at all and that he would do whatever he needed to do to win, even if it meant trying to invalidate the votes of those risking their lives for their country. This is still a problem for military serving overseas and is a reason why they are encouraged to vote early so that their ballots are actually received prior to election day so their validity can not be challenged.
None of you have any idea what you are talking about. I am a former service member and I voted in three Presidential elections without a problem. For two of the elections I was stationed overseas (the second time I was in a combat zone) and I never had a problem getting an absentee ballot. Any member of the military that says they can't get a ballot is either lying, or just too damn lazy to walk to the base legal office to get the forms.
Why are Republican politicians not repealing laws that deny military personal their right to vote?
Most active military vote Republican.
JEM-1989317, they don't repeal the laws because they know corrupt democrats would block their efforts to do so. DaveWH, my brother also served in a combat zone and according to him, he DID have a hard time getting a ballot. Of course this was while Clinton was President. So, it seems as though it's no small coincidence that when democrats are in office every attempt that can be made to block the miliary vote is usually undertaken.
Your vote only counts if you are state of residency is a swing state.
Don't forget that you are also casting your vote for state and local offices and ballot propositions. Just because you are voting for a presidential candidate who clearly is in the minority doesn't mean your voice can't be heard on other issues. The first election I was able to vote in was in 1972, and they had recently allowed 18-year-olds to vote (I was in VietNam at the time). You bet I got my absentee ballot and voted. Don't know if it made it back to the World (California) in time to be counted, but yes, I voted as a member of the military.
I'm a democrat and believe every vote should count. Congress should pass a law allowing the military to vote at any U.S. base instead of forcing them to vote in their state. There's little reason I can see the military can't validate votes and forward them as validated votes. I also oppose denying the estimated 9% of people who are legal citizens who don't have a photo ID from voting who are mostly elderly or minorities when it's been proven there's little fraud.
This has been an issue at least as far back as Truman.
Military personal who have political opinions overwhelmingly support Ron Paul. Romney comes in third.
What we are seeing here is another example of the nation's OLD PEOPLE using their superior political power to screw the young.
I am a bit unclear that is supported by any statistical evidence.
Buffaloes Roam:
Ron Paul by far received more campaign contributions from active troops than any other candidate.
I am defining "having a political opinion" as a willingness to send $20.00 or more to a political candidate.
Obama came in second.
JEM- I don't see how you can lump all military people together and say they all support Ron Paul.....Personally I still support Obama
You are not a SEAL obviously. He said he did what they did long before he said small business did not do what they did. Not convince yet? Too bad. Stay with the military and after Obama is gone you will still be on the winning team.
Romney is going to loose and loose big. So stop watching Fox News open a book and shut the F**K up you dumb A** teabagger.
Chris1999 . . .
Its "lose," not "loose." Perhaps you should open a book - preferably something befitting an early elementary school student. If you feel the need to call somebody dumb, look at the guy in the mirror!
Ron Paul received more campaign contributions from military personal than any other candidate.
Chris1999, why don't you shut up and stop watching MSNBC. Then learn the difference between lose and loose.
JEM, the majority always beats the minority. It's called democracy. Well, unless someone agreed, before we were born, to write laws that keep majorities from abusing minorities but that is no fun. You young people are at least 3/5 of an older person. Right?
Don't feel too bad. I never had children but I've paid for their health, education, and welfare all my life. Even insurance pools force me to pay for them. I'm married and "married" is charged at the "family rate".
I never got deductions for children, my property tax pays for schools, State and Fed taxes pay for education, food, medicine, and on and on.
I'm glad we outnumber you. Time to pay me back dude.
Oh, yes, I do own the road.
Paul
So you paid for the kids health, education and welfare all your life? You started working at age 1 day?
Just who do you think paid for your education, your health, your welfare when you were growing up? It's called 'society'. Either get used to it or move to some lonely mountain or island and forgo all the trappings of 'society'. You may be happier and possibily everyone around you will be too.
If the _47 is your age, I am 49.
I also do not have children.
I do not understand your comment.
By the way:
Democracy is two wolves and a sheep discussing whats for dinner.
Liberty is a well armed sheep contesting the menu.
JEM-what is it that you do not understand? He is making the point that he pays for all sorts of social programs, which he will never use because he does not have children.
Dsb's ascertion that someone else paid for his education and such so he should do so is flawed. I too do not have children and agree with Paul. My parents had children and paid taxes, so yes, I went to school. I paid for my own college. Although I do not see what any of this has to do with the topic at hand.
This is only an issue if you're lazy or uninformed. I was the voting officer for my unit when I was in Korea back in '04. I got all but three of 200 soldiers registered to vote, got them their absentee ballots and they were able to cast their ballots with no problem. It did take a lot of planning, being proactive and following up, but the system is not biased for or against the military. I say "lazy" because the three that didn't vote, wouldn't do the necessary paperwork to get registered and weren't able to.
Cappy you are a rare officer, sir. I hope you know how rare, placing the men first and all. I just hope you are still in...
Thank you for the complement, sir! Unfortunately, I got out to reduce the stress on my family, but I do miss it every day. I believed (and still do) that if you took care of soldiers, everything else would fall into place. Ensuring that soldiers were able to exercise their right to vote while serving abroad was a no brainer.
While I was in the Navy for three of the five presidential elections that occurred while on active duty I was deployed overseas on cruises. I requested absentee ballots in all three; in two of the three elections I received my absentee ballot after the election was over.
What do you know of the fate of the ballot you cast? A substantial percentage of votes
cast by military personal are rejected. Google it.
I find it very hard to believe that with today's IT we have not come up with a way for service members to vote electronically from designated terminals with in their units. Technically it is the only say they have in their choice of representation for the taxes they pay and the price they pay for OUR freedom. They are not suppose to voice political opinion in uniform and it is look down upon off duty as well. This needs to be remedied once and for all-NOW.
Case in point. The issue in Ohio. The military has EARNED those extra days. Why in God's name would the democrats sue to have it removed or everyone added? I guess they don't think the military earns any special privileges.
Bob W. I agree wholeheartedly with you. This issue needs to be addressed on a much larger scale. Our comrades votes need to be counted. They have more than earned that right.
They did not sue to have it removed. Ever. Not once. That is not true. It is not remotely true. Repeating a lie does not make it true.
The Attorney General of that state tried to shorten the time available to non-military because he is a Republican, and the extra time helped people who are working two or three jobs. He didn't want them to vote Democrat.
Anyone that thinks the American elections are not a criminal conspiracy is a dolt.
The Democrats attempted to steal the 2000 presidential
election. (Reference: At Any Cost: How Al Gore Tried to Steal the Election
by Bill Sammon.) One way was by invalidating military ballots in Florida. Since
most military voters tend to give more thought to whom they are voting for,
they tend to more heavily favor Republican candidates. That is why Democrats
would just as soon see our men and women in uniform disenfranchised.
the issue is simple - do they get ballots early and are those ballots actually counted?
The deplorable 2000 and 2004 election were ripe with fraud - by the "W" and Cheney administration as they blocked over a million ballots using the double standard of where do you live and where are you stationed to confuse and minimize a serviceman/woman's vote. this is a treasonable act by those seeking to purchase the white house and the congress; a contortion designed by karl rove and his abject and criminal band of followers.
4300 died for "W" in Iraq, after premeditated lies were placed upon congress and the electorate, the failure of our economy lies on the back of this incompetent Bush family member, and hopefully will not be forgotten so soon by those who suffered and who are now really suffering.
Obama/Biden 2012
Every unit has an assigned voter assisting staffer from that unit. They are responsible to find the way to allow the remote military citizen to vote. I was one, and I was able to get everyone on my submarine a ballot and to get it there on time so it counted.
I'm really glad I live in a State that is all absentee ballot.
http://www.longdistancevoter.org/washington
This is unacceptable. If military members are permitted to log onto a computer and vote, the computer would catch any duplicate vote, which wouldn't exist anyway. The votes would be counted in their home state. What is the BIG FUC— — — — — DEAL.
Its a way to keep our military as a demographic from expressing itself politically.
Ron Paul by far received more campaign contributions from active military personal than
any other candidate. A military with full access to the vote might be a dangerous thing
to those who would use the military to dishonorable purposes.
Well written
Obama sues Ohio to prevent Military votes!
Don't let the hype and democrat media tell you otherwise.
Obama will say it's to allow ALL voters the extra 3 days.
Obama is assuming you are stupid!
Why all the polls open all day on Election day - usually open at 7 AM and close at 7 PM or later.
Because they have to tally the votes and turn in the numbers.
Obama id FULLY aware that it is impossible to allow the extension to EVERYONE and still count the votes.
IN FACT, THAT IS THE KEY TO HIS LAWSUIT AGAINST THE MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN!
You see - Obama says if EVERYONE doesn't get the extension the he was to PREVENT the military extension.
Here is the thing - most military vote as soon as possible,
So there are a small amount that would need the extra days - 1000s
Obama says give all absentee ballots the extra 3 days - millions of votes - or block the military.
While Obama and Holder are blocking military votes they are trying to allow voting with no ID in several states.
This is ALL about stealing elections - and it's outlined in Legacy of Success by Beasley - check out the Peek Inside on Ama zon - and you will see a chapter on Voter ID
"... so you live in a tree, forage off the land, no house, no rent, no car, no children in school, no doctor visits..... but you want to vote?" So I followed the rules - and didn't choose to live remotely, yet my vote is diluted so those WHO DON"T FOLLOW THE RULES CAN VOTE?
Holder is not at all concerned with un-counted absentee military ballots - ballots that always seem to go out late in the Blue States..."
and that's just a snippet - he is harsh (as his Dad served two tours).
It's awesome!
We treat our veterans like garbage in EVERY WAY!
Do we have to take away their right to vote as well? (just to increase Obama's chances?)
A substantial percentage of votes from deployed military personal
are always disqualified for trivial reasons of one type or another.
If Democrats have passed laws to deny our military the right to
vote; why have Republicans not repealed such laws while they were
in power?
BS!
Neither Obama nor Romney have anything to offer but bankruptcy, endless war and soon
third world poverty.
Please vote LIBERTARIAN with me; even if only this once.
JEM:
I will vote but they have not shown leadership to convince AMericans to accept their way not they have presented program that American want to accept.
I was assigned as a voting assistance officer in the USAF. It could be a nightmare to get some people their ballot. Some states had rules that did not match up with reality. Rural routes in many states were NOT allowed as addresses, yet this is how some of the people I was trying to help vote absentee had gotten their mail for decades. How is that not good enough for getting an absentee ballot? The state and county can send a man his tax bills to that address, but not a ballot? It is shameful how few states have ratified and implemented the Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act (UMOVA). I can only imagine the problems for those deployed on ships, submarines, or at remote locations.
Well, Obama and his cohorts have recently tried to remove the priviledge granted to arm forces personnel the ability to vote on certain days when others cannot. (Obama angers military with lawsuit in Ohio for early voting/Aug.4th 2012/Beltway Confidential).
Barry knows DAMN WELL that the majority of our military WILL NOT vote him back in this time.
I'll bet most of you didn't know this juicy little tid bit, DID YOU?
Confederate soldiers were also Americans. I do not mind them being honored.
It is unfortunate that KKK is involved. Normal citizens should honor all our soldiers who fought for this country
and no matter what side they took. They fought in the best spirit and for their dreams as they show fit. I am not going to judge them retroactively and use them to castigate their decedents who are our co-citizens.