Americans at home pray for your safe return home to us.
Americans at home pray for your safe return home to us.
Army program helps with absentee voting By Andrea Takash
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Feb. 5, 2004) – Americans across the country are now voting in presidential state primaries, but many Soldiers can’t make it to the polls, said Jim Davis, the Army’s voting action officer.
The Army’s Voting Assistance Program aims to ensure that Soldiers, their families and DoD civilians overseas can exercise their right to vote, Davis said.
Absentee ballots can be applied for by filling out the federal postcard application, standard form 76, which can be found at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s Web site, Davis said.
“Not only does this register them for an absentee ballot, but it also registers them to vote in federal, state and local elections,” he said. “Everything is taken care of in one step.”
“I recommend that Soldiers send in the federal post card application every year because they might have had an address change since the last election,” he said.
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act requires states to allow absent military voters and overseas American citizens to use absentee ballots in elections for federal office.
“The states have extended this right to state and local elections also,” Davis said.
Typically absentee ballots are mailed out to citizens 30 to 45 days before an election.
If those Soldiers, family or civilians who are located outside the United States send in their request for an absentee ballot in sufficient time and didn't receive their ballot, they can use the Federal Write-In Application Ballot (SF 186). This form allows them to write in their votes and send it in by the deadline. Voting assistance officers at each overseas unit should have the FWAB."
“The federal write-in application is primarily for federal elections; however, some states accept it,” he said.
Most states require the absentee ballot by close of business on the day of the election. However, there are some exceptions to that rule.
Absentee ballots for Louisiana must be in by midnight before the election. In New York, absentee ballots need to be postmarked the day before the election. North Carolina requires the ballots to be in by 5 p.m. the day before the election.
To make sure the state election official received the absentee ballot, Davis suggests calling the state election office.
Davis also said that absentee votes are counted just like regular votes. “There is no difference,” he said.
He advises people to educate themselves on the issues before voting. “If necessary, do research before you vote. Don’t go in blindly,” he said.
Davis stressed the importance of understanding the laws on residency before registering to vote in a particular state.
“Your decision on which state to register in can affect your pay,” he said.
“You can only have one legal residence at a time; however, you may change residency each time you are transferred,” Davis said. For specific questions on residency, he recommends visiting the Staff Judge Advocate office.
The Army requires every unit to have a voting assistance officer, he said. The voting assistance officers get training at Federal Voting Assistance Program workshops. “The training they receive at these workshops are critical for their ability to do their job,” he said.
Voting assistance officers are there to answer questions and provide resources to Soldiers, their families and DoD civilians on voting in federal, state and local elections.
Davis said the Army is non-partisan. “Our real goal is to inform people on how to vote, who to go see and make them aware,” he said.
It is important that every American citizen of voting age votes, according to Davis. “Voting is how you influence who is in charge of your quality of life. It is your entitlement as an American citizen,” he said.
With the presidential primary elections in full swing, Davis said it is just as important to vote in primaries. “By voting in the primary, you can help the candidate that you want to see in the general election,” he said.
A list of the state’s presidential primary election dates is listed below.
For more information on federal and state voting policies, go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s Web site at http://www.fvap.gov/.