Completing the FPCA/OFPCA

Legal Voting Residence:

For overseas civilian citizens: Your "legal state of residence" for voting purposes is the state or territory where you last resided immediately prior to your departure from the United States, even if you do not have property or other ties in this last state or territory of residence and your intent to return to that state or territory is uncertain.

For voters who have never resided in a state or territory of the United States, seventeen states currently allow U.S. citizens who have never resided in the U.S. to register and vote where a parent would be eligible to vote. See the 2007-08 Voting Assistance Guide (www.fvap.gov) for specific information.

For members of the Uniformed Services and their family members: In most states the legal voting residence is defined as where you have, or have had, physical presence at the location and the intent to remain or return. "Home of Record" should not be confused with legal residence. "Home of Record" is the address a military member had upon entry into the Service, which does not change. You may establish a legal residence elsewhere after entering on active duty. When completing the FPCA’s Voting Residence section, be sure to enter the entire mailing address of your last residence, including street or rural route and number. This information is necessary to place you in the proper voting district, ward, precinct or parish.

Taxes: Exercising your right to vote in elections for Federal offices only does not affect the determination of residence or domicile for purposes of any tax imposed under Federal, state, or local law. Voting in an election for Federal office may not be used as the sole basis to determine residency for the purpose of imposing state and local taxes. If you claim a particular state or territory as your residence and have other ties with that state or territory in addition to voting, then you may be liable for state and local taxation, depending upon the laws of that particular state or territory. Consult the Voting Assistance Guide or a legal advisor for information on probable tax obligations.

Online FPCA: This is an alternative to be used when the voter does not have access to the cardstock version in time to complete it and mail it to election officials. The form can be filledin online, printedout, signed, dated, placed in an envelope with the proper postage and mailed to the appropriate local election official. OFPCA is not postage-paid. If you are mailing the form using U.S mail (including APO/FPO), you can use the postage-paid printable envelope available at www.fvap.gov/pubs/returnenvelope.html. If you are not able to use U.S. mail, affix proper postage and mail it to the appropriate Local Election Official for your voting residence. When completing the OFPCA, please refer to the Voting Assistance Guide for state-specific instructions, e.g., mandatory fields, registration deadlines, and witnessing requirements. At present, there are no provisions to allow for submission of the OFPCA through the Internet.

Notarization/witness: Some states may require the FPCA to be notarized or witnessed. The U.S. Embassy will witness or notarize FPCA forms and ballots free of charge.

Your Contact Information: The local election official will contact the citizen if there are any questions during the processing the FPCA, or if the form is not acceptable. For this reason, it is critical to provide an email address and other contact information on th FPCA. Attach a piece of paper with information (such as e-mail address, previous name under which you were registered, name and tel. number of family contact in the US, etc.) if there is insufficient space on the FPCA.

TEN THINGS TO HELP ENSURE YOUR ABSENTEE VOTE IS COUNTED

(1) Start by contacting your Voting Assistance Officer for help in absentee registration and voting.

(2) Visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s website at www.fvap.gov for information on the absentee registration and voting process.

(3) Ensure that you have applied for your absentee ballot using the hard copy or on-line versions of the FPCA.

(4) Make sure your local election official has your current mailing address.

(5) Sign and date all election materials.

(6) Fulfill your state’s witness/notary requirements (if required).

(7) Ensure that your ballot or FPCA is postmarked.

(8) Register to vote and request your ballot in a timely manner -- not later than September.

(9) VOTE - mail your ballot not later than October 15th of the election year.

(10) Use the Federal Write In Absentee Ballot if you are overseas and your state absentee ballot does not arrive in time to be mailed back by the state’s deadline.