Voting overseas Published Sept. 21, 2010 By Installation Voting Assistance Officer 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Per the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE Act), starting with the 2 Nov 2010 general elections, States must send ballots to military voters 45 days before the election, both by traditional mail and at least one means of electronic transmission such as email, fax or online ballot posting. Saturday September 18 was the 45 day mark. Some States have even adopted full internet voting for military and overseas civilian voters. The Installation Voting Assistance Officer (IVAO) and Unit Voting Assistance Officer (UVAO) are here to help with an array of voter assistance tools. ABSENTEE VOTER GUIDANCE: The Department of Defense has taken steps to make absentee voting easier for our military members, their families, and overseas voters (Federal employees working overseas). What used to be a complicated process of having to check the Voting Assistance Guide for state-specific requirements and deadlines for absentee voting has now been automated. Voters can click on this link www.fvap.gov/r3/fpca/home to fill in the FPCA using a wizard that assists the absentee voter in filling in the form based on their particular state/county of residence. If voters do not receive their ballot by October 2nd, they should use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) as a back-up ballot! Similar to the FPCA Wizard, voters can click on this link www.fvap.gov/r3/fwab/home to fill in the FWAB using a wizard that assists the absentee voter in filling in the form, again, based on their particular state and county of residence. For each office for which they vote, voters write in either a candidate's name or their party designation. (Check the State election website for candidate information, which generally is available 45 days before the election--Federal Candidate choices will already be included on the Automated FWAB form; e.g., Senator and Congressional House Representative). Once completed, the voter then prints out the form, signs and returns it to their local election official. The wizards produce a PDF package that includes their postage-paid envelope template, security envelope template, instructions to election officials, state-specific information and submission instructions, voter's declaration/affirmation, and write-in ballot pre-populated with the information and candidates the voter entered in the FWAB Wizard. If the State allows faxed returns, the wizard will even prepare a fax cover sheet with the fax number to the local election official. If voters receive their State ballot after submitting the FWAB, they should vote and return the State ballot as well. The State will only count the FWAB if the State ballot is not received by the deadline. More information and assistance can be obtained from Unit Voting Assistance Officers at vote@yokota.af.mil. Honor the past, support the future - vote! http://www.fvap.gov/.