General Information
About FVAP
The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) works to ensure Service members, their eligible family members, and overseas citizens are aware of their right to vote and have the tools and resources to successfully do so - from anywhere in the world.
About Absentee Voting
Voting is one of our most fundamental rights as U.S. citizens. Elections are managed individually by the 50 states, four territories (American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and the District of Columbia. This equates to 55 sets of rules for absentee voting, but the basic steps are simple:
- Citizens register to vote and request an absentee ballot by filling out the Federal Post Card Application. (FPCA), and sending it to their election office in their state of legal residence.
- The election office approves the FPCA, disapproves the FPCA, or requests additional clarifying information.
- Once the FPCA is approved, the election office sends an absentee ballot to the citizen.
- The citizen completes and returns their voted ballot to their election office by their state's deadline.
About the Laws
Federal law governs FVAP and state activities facilitating the absentee voting process.
Reports and Surveys
FVAP provides analysis, information, and resources for absentee voters, Voting Assistance Officers, and election officials. This section contains information such as reports to Congress, supporting survey data, and general research reports of interest.
News
Review FVAP's latest news items including information on upcoming federal elections and FVAP assistance activities.
Outreach Materials
To assist Service members, their families, and overseas citizens, FVAP has created materials to cover many topics related to absentee voting. These tools are available below for you to download, print, and share as you see fit.
Contact
Key contact information for all voting assistance resources.
