VOTING INFORMATION NEWS DECEMBER 2007 - Vol. 17, No. 12 A roundup of voting news from the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) for voters, potential voters and those who assist voters.

NEW FVAP VOTER REGISTRATION AND BALLOT DELIVERY FEATURES The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) will add a series of new features to the FVAP website to help facilitate the absentee voting process for military and overseas citizens through the use of electronic solutions.

The first feature, coming this December, is an automated version of the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) that will be available to all voters covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act(UOCAVA). Citizens will be guided through the completion of the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) form based on the requirements of their state of legal residence.

To use this feature, citizens create an account on a secure server hosted by the Department of Defense. When the FPCA has been completed, a PDF version will be generated and users will be provided with the submission options that are allowed in their state or jurisdiction, including via postal mail, fax, email, or through a secure Department of Defense server.

Through the secure server process, users from participating jurisdictions can upload a printed, signed, and scanned FPCA onto the secure Department of Defense server. Their local election official, after receiving a notification email, can then log onto the secure server and download the FPCA.

Two additional components will be added next spring in preparation for the

2008 General Election. The first, coming in March of 2008, will allow local election officials to provide a blank ballot to the voter through the secure Department of Defense server. The UOCAVA citizen can then print, mark, and sign the blank ballot, prior to submitting it in accordance with state law.

In June of 2008, the capability will be added to allow UOCAVA citizens to digitally sign and electronically forward the FPCA to the local election official through the secure Department of Defense server.

Please note that these new features will not facilitate the submission of voted ballots. It is important to keep in mind that in addition to the new automated FPCA option, UOCAVA citizens can still complete and submit the cardstock FPCA or the on-line version of the FPCA, which is available at www.fvap.gov. The following pages contain instructions on how to complete and submit the form manually.

FEDERAL POST CARD APPLICATION (STANDARD FORM SF 76) Citizens voting under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act(UOCAVA) are eligible to participate in all elections for Federal offices intheir state of legal residence. Many of these citizens are also eligible to vote in state and local elections. Because election laws vary from state to state, please consult the recently distributed, 2008-2009 Voting Assistance Guide or your Voting Assistance Officer (VAO). The Guide contains state-by-state procedures for UOCAVA citizens to register and/or request an absentee ballot using the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA, SF-76). All shaded areas for your state or territory as indicated in the Guide must be completed. The Guide is available in hard copy format or on-line at the FVAP website, www.fvap.gov.

The FPCA is the first step in the absentee voting process. The following are general item-by-item instructions for completing the FPCA. It is important to realize that state laws determine the information required on the FPCA as well as the deadline for submitting the form. As a result, accurate completion and timely submission of the FPCA are critical. Follow the instructions carefully when completing the FPCA. After completing the form, send it to your jurisdiction of voting residence. The Guide contains addresses for sending the completed form to your Local Election Official (LEO). Alternative means of transmitting election materials (faxing) are also outlined in the Guide.

Although Federal law states that the FPCA is valid for two regular Federal elections, FVAP recommends that you submit a new FPCA in January of every year and whenever you move to ensure that your absentee ballots will the sent to you in a timely manner. Here is an item-by-item breakdown:

Block 1 - I Request Ballots for All Elections In Which I Am Eligible To Vote And I Am: Place an X only in one block. Marking Block 1c generally means that you were a resident of that state before departing the U.S. and your intent to return at some time in the future is uncertain. Marking Block 1c applies for a Federal ballot only (if one is printed by the state).

Block 2 - My Information: Type or print full name, previous name (if

applicable) sex, race, date of birth, social security number (most states require only the last four digits), state driver's license or I.D. number, telephone number and email address. Provide a complete fax number where the LEO may reach you. Some States and Territories allow you to request, receive, and/or return your ballot by fax. Refer to your state pages in the Guide for more details on electronic transmission and required information for your state.

Block 3 - My Voting Residence Address (for military, use legal residence.

For overseas citizens, use last legal residence in U.S) (Required): A complete street address of where you actually lived in the state is necessary for the LEO to place you in the proper voting precinct. A post office box is not appropriate. If your address includes a Rural Route, use Item 6 (Additional Information) to indicate the specific location of the residence (for example, 2 miles south of the intersection of Route 9 and

I-34.) This address should be different from the one provided in Item 4 and must be within the county or township where you claim legal voting residence.

Block 4.a - Where To Send My Voting Materials: Enter the complete mailing address where you are currently living and where you wish to receive your absentee ballot. This address must be different from the address you provided in Item 3. If you will have a new mailing address by the time election materials will be sent to you, please be sure to indicate this address here.

Block 4.b - My Forwarding Address: Complete 4.b only if you do not want your ballot mailed to the address in Block 4.a. This block would be used by citizens who have their mail forwarded by a courier or forwarding service.

Block 4.c - I Prefer To Receive My Absentee Ballot, As Permitted By My State,

By: Check the preference that you would like to receive your ballot. Some States and Territories allow you to request, receive, and/or return your ballot by fax or email. Refer to your state pages in the Guide for more details on electronic transmission. If your state does not permit faxing or emailing ballots, you must check the mail box.

Block 5 - My Political Party Affiliation: In most states and territories,you must specify your party affiliation to vote in primary elections. Please refer to the Guide for specific information regarding your state's primary elections.

Block 6 - Additional Information: Designate the period for which you want to receive ballots - see instructions for Block 6 paragraph (3). Consult the Voting Assistance Guide for other specific state instructions.

Block 7 - Affirmation by applicant: Read affirmation, and sign and date.

Block 7 - Witness/Notary: Most states and territories do not require a witness or notary. Check the Guide for state-specific requirements and instructions.

Absentee voting materials may be obtained through your unit, Embassy, or Consulate VAO. Many US citizens' organizations and corporations overseas maintain a stock of absentee voting materials as well.

An on-line (PDF) version of the FPCA is also available for all states and territories except Guam and American Samoa at www.fvap.gov. The FPCA can be completed on-line or printed out and completed. After completing the application, it must be signed, dated and placed in an envelope affixed with proper postage. Postage free envelopes, for use in the U.S. Postal System, can also be printed from the FVAP web site.