By Sarah Denton | Sponsored
Like most military spouses, I’ve captained countless moves and mastered scheduling for my family down to a science. I live by the calendar.
With the upcoming election, deadlines are more important than ever. There’s so much to keep track of, and it’s harder since we’re stationed away from where we vote. (If you vote locally, you can share this info with your spouse if they’re stationed away from home.) The best way I’ve found to make sure we get our absentee ballots and send them back in time is through FVAP.gov.
Here are some key voting dates that I’m circling on my calendar:
August 1
First, request your absentee ballot (and register to vote if you haven’t) by filling out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). Then send it to your election office by August 1. (This year, there are so many changes that it’s even more important to register and request your ballot early.)
When filling out the FPCA, you can choose to receive your ballot by email (all states allow it). To make things even quicker, try sending the FPCA by email. Most states will let you, while some must receive it by mail.
Your voting residence (the U.S. state or territory where you are registering to vote) is likely your legal residence. And now, thanks to the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act (MSRRA), you can use the same residence that your active duty spouse has established as your voter residence — even if you’ve never been physically present there. Here’s how to determine your voting residence.
Pro tip: Using the FPCA means your state will send your ballot at least 45 days before the election — which may not be the case if you use other ballot request forms. It’s a good idea to send in a new FPCA every January and each time you move. For the general election on Nov. 3, 2020, do it by August 1.
October 13 (if you’re outside the U.S.) & October 27 (if you’re in the U.S.)
If you requested your absentee ballot by August 1, you should receive it by early October. Vote and send back your ballot as soon as you receive it. The recommended vote-by dates are:
- October 13, 2020 if you’re outside the U.S.
- October 27, 2020 if you’re stateside
When you vote, see if you can send back your ballot electronically. Some states allow it.
If you don’t receive your ballot by early October, contact your election office to ask about your ballot request.
November 3
In 2020, the general election is November 3. If you don’t receive your ballot in time to vote, use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). It works like a backup ballot.
If your official absentee ballot arrives after sending in the FWAB, fill out and send in the official ballot too. Only one will be counted. After you send in your ballot, go to FVAP.gov to check if it was received by your election office.
And that’s it! It can seem like a lot of steps, but it’s really not that hard to vote absentee when you do it this way. And if you live the automated life like me and my family, try adding deadlines specific to your state to your Google calendar so you never miss a step!