Massachusetts Military and Overseas Voters, Submit Your Ballot for the January 19, 2010 Special Election!

Massachusetts will hold a special election on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 to fill the currently vacant U.S. Senate seat caused by the death of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. The candidates for this election are:

  • SCOTT P. BROWN, 70 Hayden Woods, Wrentham, Republican
  • MARTHA COAKLEY, 46 Coolidge Rd., Medford, Democratic
  • JOSEPH L. KENNEDY, 20 Hyde Park St., Dedham, Liberty


Massachusetts will begin mailing ballots on December 16, 2009. If you are only now requesting a ballot for the special election, there is a good chance you will not receive it in time to be voted and returned by the mailed absentee ballot receipt deadline. Even if you have already requested an absentee ballot, based on local mail delivery, you still may not receive the ballot in time to vote and return it in time to be counted. But you have an easy alternative: use the FWAB!

Use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB)

You do not need to register to vote in Massachusetts. However, to vote in this special election, you must still request a ballot. Massachusetts allows you to use the FWAB as a simultaneous ballot request and ballot; even if you have not applied yet for a State absentee ballot.

Get started by going to www.fvap.gov and follow the instructions for using the FWAB in Massachusetts. The FWAB is also available from your Voting Assistance Officer. Vote the FWAB by using the candidate list above or, you may write in another candidate of your choosing, or simply write-in a political party designation and the candidate running under that party’s designation will receive your vote.

Email or Fax Your Voted FWAB

If you are emailing or faxing the voted FWAB, you must waive the right to secrecy of the ballot. You must sign and date a statement on the electronic transmission sheet available at www.fvap.gov/resources/media/coversheet.pdf indicating, “I understand that by faxing or emailing my voted ballot I am voluntarily waiving my right to a secret ballot.”

To return your FWAB by email, email the voted FWAB along with your signed voter affirmation and signed electronic transmission sheet as a scanned attachment directly to your town or city clerk. To return your FWAB by fax, fax the voted FWAB along with your signed voter affirmation and signed electronic transmission sheet directly to your town or city clerk.

Email address and fax numbers can be found at www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleclk/clkidx.htm. If an email address or fax number is not available for your town or city, use the DoD Electronic Transmission Service:

Email the FWAB along with your signed voter affirmation and signed electronic transmission sheet as a scanned attachment to ets@fvap.ncr.gov. It will be forwarded to the local election office you indicate.

OR

Fax the FWAB along with your signed voter affirmation, and signed electronic transmission sheet to: (703)-693-5527, DSN 223-5527, or toll-free (from the U.S., Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands to 1-800-368-8683). International toll-free fax numbers can be found at www.fvap.gov/contact/tollfreefax.html. It will be forwarded to the local election office you indicate.

Mail Your Voted FWAB

Do not wait! We recommend you mail your voted FWAB or regular State ballot to your town or city by:

  • December 22, 2009 for voters in Iraq, Afghanistan, on ships at sea, and other overseas locations without access to the military postal system
  • December 29, 2009 for voters in other overseas military installations
  • January 12, 2010 for stateside Uniformed Service members and their families

Deadlines for the Voted Ballot

If you are emailing or faxing the FWAB, it must be received by your town or city clerk by 8 pm January 19, 2010.

If you are mailing the ballot or FWAB from outside the United States, it must be received by your town or city clerk by 5 pm January 29, 2010, but must be postmarked by January 19, 2010.

If you are mailing the ballot or FWAB from within the United States, it must be received by your town or city clerk by 8pm, January 19, 2010.

If you receive the regular State ballot after submitting the FWAB, vote and return it immediately. If both ballots are received by the deadline, only the regular State absentee ballot will be counted.

Additional Information

For more information, go to the Massachusetts election website at: www.sec.state.ma.us or visit FVAP at: www.fvap.gov.

We want your feedback! If you’d like more information on the Federal Voting Assistance Program or need help with the absentee voting process, please contact FVAP at 1-800-438-8683, DSN (312) 425-1584, or at vote@fvap.ncr.gov. Toll-free phone numbers from 67 countries are listed at: www.fvap.gov/contact/tollfreephone.html. With your feedback, we can make this even more helpful for the next election.