VAOs: Here is a New Year’s Resolution that’s Easy to Keep!

During this busy holiday season it is easy to forget about the upcoming year and your voting assistance officer duties. DoD Directive 1000.4, Section 5.2.1.6 requires all military VAOs to ensure the delivery of Federal Post Card Applications (FPCAs) by January 15 of each calendar year to eligible voters and their voting age dependents. Your goal is 100% contact and be sure to include spouses and voting age dependents. Remind those citizens you assist to include an email address, a phone and fax number on the FPCA. This will make it easier for the local election official to contact the voter during the application process. Provide the link to the FVAP website where voters can utilize the FPCA completion wizard which is catered to their state’s requirements. If hardcopies cardstock versions are not available, you can print blank FPCAs for your unit or get a PDF version that you can email to them at www.fvap.gov/vao.

More about the FPCA

The FPCA is a registration and absentee ballot request form. The form should also be used if individuals need to update their mailing address which is crucial to ensure they receive their ballots. Because Uniformed Service members are highly mobile, FVAP recommends that the FPCA be completed in its entirety and submitted every year in January and whenever they move or are transferred. In many States the FPCA is valid only for the calendar year in which it was submitted. Check www.FVAP.gov for specific State requirements.

Post Election Surveys in Your Inboxes

Each election year, FVAP conducts surveys to determine voter participation, satisfaction with the absentee voting process and evaluate the effectiveness our program, website and services provided. Members of six separate groups will receive surveys within the next few weeks: Active Duty Military, Unit Voting Assistance Officers, Department of State Voting Assistance Officers, Military Spouses, Stateside Local Election Officials and Overseas U.S. Citizens.

You may have received one of our confidential surveys via email, we encourage you to take a few minutes to complete and return it with your election experiences. Your participation in this survey will play an important part in the continual improvement of the absentee voting process for Uniformed Service members, their families and U.S. citizens overseas.

Happy Holidays from FVAP!

Additional information — We want your feedback! If you would like more information on the Federal Voting Assistance Program or need help with the absentee voting process, please contact FVAP at www.FVAP.gov, 1-800-438-8683, DSN (312) 425-1584, or at vote@fvap.gov. Toll-free phone numbers from 67 countries are listed at: www.fvap.gov/contact/tollfreephone.html.