Federal Voting Assistance Program

Contact the Installation Voting Assistance Officer at the Andersen Airman and Family Readiness Center.

Phone Number: 671-366-8137

DSN: 315-366-8137

Email: Andersen.vote@us.af.mil

Location: Building 22026 room 131, O’Malley Avenue, Andersen AFB, Guam

 

For more information, visit FVAP.gov

About the 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.

Citizens protected by Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and who may utilize the Installation Voting Assistance Office include:

  • Members of the Uniformed Services (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps)
  • Members of the Merchant Marines
  • Eligible family members of the above
  • U.S. citizens residing outside the U.S.
Installation and Unit Voting Assistance Officers (VAOs) ensure that citizens covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) understand their voting rights and how to register and vote absentee and provide accurate nonpartisan voting information and assistance. VAOs may be members of the Uniformed Services, civilians, or members of overseas U.S. citizen organizations.

General FAQ's

Expand List item 329Collapse List item 329  1. Can I vote absentee?
You may vote absentee in any election for Federal office if you are a U.S. citizen 18 years or older and are a U.S. citizen residing outside the United States. Only certain States allows U.S. citizens who have never resided in the United States to vote. For more information, go to: http://www.fvap.gov.
Expand List item 330Collapse List item 330  2. Do I have to be registered to vote absentee?
Registration requirements vary from state to state. Most states and territories require registration to vote absentee. Voter registration and absentee ballot request can be done at the same time by submitting the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). If you are already registered to vote and only wish to request a ballot, you should submit your FPCA as soon as possible.
Expand List item 331Collapse List item 331  3. When mailing election materials to my state or territory, do I have to pay postage?
When mailed from any U.S. post office, U.S. embassy or consulate, or APO/FPO mail facility, the hardcopy voter registration/absentee ballot form is postage-paid. In order to receive free postage, the online version of the form must be mailed in an envelope printed with our postage-paid envelope template. You may mail the completed form in an envelope with proper postage affixed. Ensure that your form is postmarked (see postmarking instructions below) and sent to arrive before your state's specific deadline. You must pay postage if the materials are mailed from a non- U.S. postal facility.

It is recommended that voted ballots be mailed from your location outside the U.S. rather than be given to another individual to be placed in the U.S. postal system. If the ballot is postmarked from any location inside the U.S. your local election official may not count your ballot.
Expand List item 332Collapse List item 332  4. What is a postmark and how do I make sure I get one?
A postmark is a postal marking made on a piece of mail indicating the date and time that the item was accepted by the postal service. Postmarks are used to determine if voting materials have been mailed by state deadlines. Due to varying mail pick up times, the day you 'mail' your election mail may not be the day the postal facility postmarks it.

You may ask the mail clerk to hand stamp the election material so that a date is clearly visible. In certain situations a handwritten postmark and signature from you or a notarizing official may be sufficient.
Expand List item 333Collapse List item 333  5. When is the best time to apply for an absentee ballot?
We recommend that you register to vote/request an absentee ballot in January of each year, or at least 45 days before Election Day.
Expand List item 334Collapse List item 334  6. Must I submit a separate application for each election?
A citizen usually does not need to submit a separate application for each election. To ensure that you receive absentee ballots for all elections in which you are eligible to vote, we recommend that you submit a new Federal Post Card Application in January of each year and whenever you have a new mailing address. If you are requesting an absentee ballot for a specific election, note in Block 9 the election for which you are requesting the ballot, i.e., "Primary (or Special, or General) election only."
Expand List item 335Collapse List item 335  7. When should I receive my ballot? What happens if I do not receive a ballot from my local election office?
States and territories begin mailing ballots at least 45 days before an election.

If you have requested an absentee ballot from your State but have not received it, you can also vote by using the back-up Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). You may submit the FWAB at any time after you submit your FPCA

In order to be eligible to use this back-up ballot, you must:
1. Be absent from your voting residence
2. Have applied for a regular ballot early enough so the request is received by the appropriate local election official not later than the State deadline or the date that is 30 days before the general election
3. Have not received the requested regular absentee ballot from the State.
 
If you have not received your ballot one month before the election:
1. Go to FVAP.gov and see what online ballot delivery tools are available for your state.
2. Use the FWAB wizard available at FVAP.gov to complete a back-up ballot and submit it to your local election official. If you cannot access FVAP.gov, you can obtain a hardcopy of the form from your Voting Assistance Officer at military installations or at U.S. embassies/consulates.
3. Contact your local election official to determine the status of your ballot. Contact information is available at FVAP.gov.
4. When you receive your regular absetntee ballot, complete it and return it regardless of when you receive it. Your local election official will ensure that only one of the ballots is counted.

Overseas Citizens

Expand List item 341Collapse List item 341  1. Can I vote absentee?
You can vote absentee in any election for Federal office if you are a U.S. citizen 18 years or older and are a U.S. citizen residing outside the United States.
Expand List item 342Collapse List item 342  2. If I do not maintain a legal residence in the U.S., what is my "legal state of residence"?
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. This applies to overseas citizens even though you may not have property or other ties in your last state of residence and your intent to return to that state may be uncertain.

When completing block 7 of the Voter Registration/Absentee Ballot Request form, be sure to enter the entire mailing address of your last residence, including rural route and number. That address determines your proper voting jurisdiction.

Some states allow children of U.S. citizens residing overseas who are U.S. citizens but who have never resided in the U.S., to claim one of their parent's legal state of residence as their own. Check out our list of states allowing this.
Expand List item 343Collapse List item 343  3. How do I register to vote, or apply for an absentee ballot?
You may register and request an absentee ballot with a single form: The Federal Post Card Application. This application form is accepted by all states and territories and is postage- paid in the U.S. mail, including the Military Postal System and State Department Pouch mail. Hard copies of the form can be obtained from a U.S. embassy or consulate or requested directly from the Federal Voting Assistance Program by contacting us.

An online version of the Voter Registration/Absentee Ballot Request form is also available. The online version of the form must be mailed in an envelope with proper postage, or mailed using our prepaid return envelope.

Your Voter Registration/Absentee Ballot Request form must be completed, printed, signed, dated and mailed directly to your local election official.
Expand List item 344Collapse List item 344  4. Can I register or vote in-person at the embassy or consulate?
There are no provisions for in-person voting or on-site registration at U.S. embassies or consulates. U.S. embassy and consular officials can assist U.S. citizens in completing the Voter Registration/Absentee Ballot Request form or other election materials for their state, witness election materials (if required), and provide other absentee voting information.

You may mail election materials from U.S. embassies and consulates. Remember to make sure that all election material is postmarked.

Service Members & Families

Expand List item 336Collapse List item 336  1. Can I vote absentee?
You can vote absentee in local, state and Federal elections if you are a U.S. citizen 18 years or older and are an active duty member of the Armed Forces, Merchant Marine, Public Health Service, NOAA, a family member of the above, or a U.S. citizen residing outside the United States.
Expand List item 337Collapse List item 337  2. Where is my "legal voting residence"?
For voting purposes, "legal voting residence" can be the state or territory where you last resided prior to entering military service OR the state or territory that you have since claimed as your legal residence.

Even though you may no longer maintain formal ties to that residence, the address determines your proper voting jurisdiction. To claim a new legal residence, you must have simultaneous physical presence and the intent to return to that location as your primary residence.

Military and their family members may change their legal residence every time they change permanent duty stations, or they may retain their legal residence without change. This may mean that the family's Uniformed Service member has a different legal voting residence than his/her family members. A Judge Advocate General officer or legal counsel should be consulted before legal residence is changed because there are usually other factors that should be considered besides voting.
Expand List item 338Collapse List item 338  3. My family members are not in the military; can they also vote absentee?
Yes. Eligible spouses and dependents (U.S. citizens, 18 years or older) of military personnel may vote absentee. Some states allow children of military personnel residing overseas who are U.S. citizens but who have never resided in the U.S. to claim one of their U.S. citizen parent's legal state of residence as their own. Check out our list of states allowing this.
Expand List item 339Collapse List item 339  4. How do I register to vote or request an absentee ballot?
You may register and request an absentee ballot with a single form: The Federal Post Card Application. This application form is accepted by all states and territories and is postage- paid in the U.S. mail, including the Military Postal System and State Department Pouch mail. Hard copies of the form can be obtained from your installation's Voting Assistance Officer or requested directly from the Federal Voting Assistance Program by contacting us.

An online version of the FPCA is also available. The online version of the form must be mailed in an envelope with proper postage, or mailed using our prepaid return envelope.

Your Voter Registration/Absentee Ballot Request form must be completed, printed, signed, dated and mailed directly to your local election official
Expand List item 340Collapse List item 340  5. Can I vote in-person where I am stationed?
Military members may vote in the U.S. state or territory where stationed if they change their legal residence to that state or territory, even if they live on a military installation. Be advised that there may be legal obligations, such as taxation, if you change your state of residence. Therefore, consult a Judge Advocate General officer or legal counsel before making such a decision.

Currently there are no provisions for personnel stationed outside the U.S. to vote in-person where stationed.