Voting

Change of Address - YOUR Responsibility!

It is the citizens' responsibility to notify their local election official of changes in their mailing address (where the citizen needs their ballot mailed). Many local election officials report that absentee voting materials mailed to citizens are returned to them marked "Address Unknown." This problem may be caused by changes in duty stations or overseas residence addresses. Use a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), SF 76. FVAP highly recommends that the FPCA be completed in its entirety and submitted every year. In addition to informing the local election official of the citizen's current mailing address, submitting the FPCA will register or confirm the citizen's registration, and acts as a request for absentee ballots for any elections to be held that year. When completing the revised (Rev. 10-2005) FPCA enter the following additional information to notify the local election official of your address change. In Item 4 (Where To Send My Voting Materials) enter "NEW ADDRESS" in the top of this box. In Item 6 (Additional Information) write your previous address and enter "OLD ADDRESS". As a result, the FPCA will serve as a simultaneous absentee ballot request and a change of address form for voting purposes. Remember, the FPCA must be properly completed and legible in order for it to be processed by the local election official. Completion instructions for each state can be found in Chapter 3 of the 2008-09 Voting Assistance Guide (also on the FVAP website at http://www.fvap.gov/).  A second option to indicate a change in address is writing a letter to your local election official with your name, date of birth, and both new and old addresses. The new address is where you would like to receive your ballot. Note: The FPCA does not require postage if mailed within the U.S. mails. When using any of the options provided, it is important to include a voter registration number or Social Security Number and any further information that can help the local election official properly identify you. Submit an address change early enough so that you have enough time to receive, vote your ballot, and return it to the local election official to meet state deadlines. Addresses for local election officials can also be found in Chapter 3 of the Guide (at www.fvap.gov) at the end of the instruction section for each state. If you return to your state of legal voting residence, or separate from military service, be sure to notify your Local Election Official that you plan on voting at the polls in the next election.