Getting the Camo Vote

The DoD's Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) kicked off its training program geared to help voting assistance officers at military bases worldwide at a 2010 Election Year press conference Jan. 7.

During the kickoff press conference, the DoD focused on:
• voting assistance officers (VOA) providing a federal post card application to all military personnel by Jan. 15.
• using the FVAP Web site and the Voting Assistance Guide for help in completing the registration and ballot request process.
• timely completion of registration and ballot request.

Because the law has changed dramatically since last year, voters need to be aware that:
• voters will no longer automatically receive ballots from absentee ballot applications submitted in previous years.
• military voters should submit a new federal post card application at least each and every year, and every time they move, deploy or redeploy overseas. Overseas civilian voters should submit an application before every federal election.
• military and overseas voters should only use the Federal Post Card Application (available from voting assistance officers and at the Web site and NOT state registration and absentee ballot application forms; the FPCA provides specific federal rights and guarantees that the state forms do not.
• voters should use the Web site and check the Voting Assistance Guide to make sure they get it right.
• voters should watch the FVAP Web site closely to learn about the launch of new online tools that will assist uniformed service members and overseas civilians vote absentee.