'Send Your Vote Home' makes voting overseas a breeze

By Chelsea Bissell, U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria Public AffairsJune 17, 2014

Send your vote home
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany -- For this election year, June 30-July 7 is Armed Forces and Overseas Citizens Voters Week.

During this week, all Soldiers, civilians and voting-age family members are encouraged to take the first steps for absentee voting in federal midterm and local elections.

"The week is focusing on getting the word out and doing the Federal Post Card Application so the states know where Soldiers are," said Foy Dix, U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria voting officer.

To vote overseas, U.S. citizens must first apply for their absentee ballot with the Federal Post Card Application. Filling out the application is simple and requires the voter to know only a home address in their state of residence, county and zip code.

To make the process easier, a voting representative will be at the Tower and Rose Barracks Exchanges handing out the applications. Eligible voters need to just fill out the forms and the Voting Assistance Office will mail them to the correct state.

Once the application card is approved, voters receive their absentee ballot through traditional mail or email, depending on the state.

They can then fill out the ballot, send it back, and the vote is cast.

If overseas citizens don't get the chance to fill out and send their Federal Post Card Application by July 7, they still have until September to do so, Dix said.

"They deserve the right to vote and should be able to exercise that right," he said.

Overseas voters can also download a Federal Post Card Application online from FVAP.gov. The site also has state-by-state information about voting overseas for service members, families and civilians.

For more information, call the Voting Assistance Office at DSN 475-8855, CIV 09641-83-8855.

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