Uniformed Services Personnel

Download the 2009 Uniformed Services Personnel Voting Sheet

The voting rights of U.S. citizens living outside the United States and members of the uniformed services stationed outside Ohio are governed by federal law (The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act - “UOCAVA”), as well as state law.

These procedures apply to persons who are U.S. citizens, residents of Ohio and members of the Uniformed Services and their spouses and dependents residing outside Ohio to be with or near such service members. A member of the uniformed services (armed forces, merchant marine, and the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is eligible to vote a regular ballot from the voting address in Ohio at which the service member resided for 30 days immediately before leaving Ohio to commence active duty service.

To receive your absentee ballot:

The Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) is the primary form for requesting registration and/or an absentee ballot from your local election official. Read all instructions printed on the FPCA before completing and signing your application.

Members of the Uniformed Services and their spouses and dependents residing outside Ohio must register to vote and/or request an absentee ballot using the current Federal Post Card Application (“FPCA”) in either the cardstock or online version. The online FPCA can be downloaded from www.fvap.gov . For additional information, UOCAVA voters may visit the Overseas Voting Foundation at www.overseasvotefoundation.org .

A. Registering and Requesting an Absentee Ballot

• If you are an absent uniformed services voter, or an overseas voter, submitting an FPCA for both voter registration and absentee ballot application under the UOCAVA, you may request that your FPCA be considered an application for an absentee ballot for each subsequent election for Federal office held in Ohio for which you are eligible to vote, through the next two regularly scheduled elections for Federal office.

• To register and request an absentee ballot, send a completed FPCA to the county board of elections so that it arrives not later than noon on the third day before the election.
  1. By mail or fax: If you are a member of the U.S. armed forces or organized state militia, you may fax your absentee ballot request to the board of elections in which your voting residence is located. The board must receive your request by noon on the Saturday before the election. You may request that the board fax your ballot to you, but you must return your marked ballot by mail. However, you should submit your request as far in advance of the election as possible.
     
     Mail / Fax the FPCA to:

     Cuyahoga County Board of Elections
     Absentee Department
     2925 Euclid Avenue 2nd Floor
     Cleveland, Ohio 44115
     Fax: 216.443.3299 or 216.443.6466

  2. In person: You may go to the board of elections office during regular business hours after absentee ballots are available for voting, including the day of election, and request, receive and vote your ballot at the board office.

2009 Deadlines for Uniformed Services Personnel Outside the U.S.

Municipal Primary Date: Sptember 8, 2009

• Registration Deadline: September 5, 2009 Noon
• Ballot Request Deadline: September 29, 2008 Noon
• Ballot Return Deadline: September 18, 2009 (mailed from outside the United States; postmarked by Election Day)

Municipal Primary Date: September 29, 2009

• Registration Deadline: September 26, 2009 Noon
• Ballot Request Deadline: September 26, 2009 Noon
• Ballot Return Deadline: October 9, 2009 (mailed from outside the United States; postmarked by Election Day)

General Election Date: November 3, 2009

• Registration Deadline: October 31, 2009 Noon
• Ballot Request Deadline: Ocotober 31, 2009 Noon
• Ballot Return Deadline: November 14, 2009 (mailed from outside the United States; postmarked by Election Day)

Include the following information

• Your date of birth.
• You must also include either the last four digits of your Social Security number or your Ohio Driver’s License number.
• Provide the complete street address of your Ohio voting residence. A post office box is not sufficient. This address must be within the county where you claim legal voting residence.
• Print the complete address where you want your ballot sent - usually your current mailing address. Be sure to adhere to the postal regulations for the country to which the ballot is being mailed.
• If you do not list a party affiliation, you cannot vote in partisan primary elections. You must indicate your political party affiliation when applying for a partisan primary ballot (Example: Democrat, Republican) or “issues only” if you want to vote questions and issues and not candidates. Political party affiliation is not required if requesting absentee ballots for non-partisan primary and general elections. If you voted in a primary election utilizing a FPCA within the last two calendar years and you now want to change your political party choice or you have previously declined to indicate a political party and you now want to vote in a primary election, you must submit a completed FPCA which includes your political party affiliation.
• Include the length of time you resided in Ohio immediately before leaving Ohio. (“I was an Ohio resident for __________.”)
• Submission of a FPCA form serves as a request to receive ballots for all Federal elections held through the next two regularly scheduled general elections. If you do not wish to receive ballots for that length of time, you may request a ballot for each election for Federal office held in the next election year OR a ballot for only the next scheduled election for Federal office by noting your choice on the FPCA.
• You must sign and date the FPCA. When signing, you are swearing or affirming that the information is true and correct.

B. Casting Your Vote

• Ballot Return Deadline: When returned within the U.S., the voted ballot must arrive at the appropriate county board of election’s office not later than the close of polls on Election Day.
• If you are voting from outside the U.S., your ballot will be counted if it arrives at the appropriate county board of elections not later than 10 days after an election or 20 days after a presidential primary election, as long as it is signed/postmarked not later than the close of polls on election day.
• Local election officials begin mailing absentee ballots not later than 35 days before an election or 25 days before a presidential primary election.
• If you have applied for and not received your ballot in a timely manner, use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (Federal General Elections Only)

For your absentee ballot to be counted, it must be received as follows:

1. If cast from anywhere in the United States, whether returned in person or by mail, your ballot must be received by your county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
2. If you are voting from outside the U.S., your ballot will be counted if it arrives at the appropriate county board of elections not later than 10 days after an election or 20 days after a presidential primary election, as long as it is signed/postmarked not later than the close of polls on election day.

C. Notary/Witness Requirements

Voting registration forms and absentee voting materials are not required to be notarized or witnessed.

D. Electronic Transmission of FPCA’s and Ballots

• Ohio allows you to send the FPCA for ballot request by fax. After faxing, submit the original FPCA by mail. Ohio does not allow you to send the FPCA for registration by fax. Ohio allows you to receive the blank ballot by fax.
• Ohio does not allow you to return the voted ballot by fax.
• You may fax directly to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections using the following numbers:
  • Fax: 216.443.3299 or 216.443.6466

E. Application for Ballot by Proxy

If you are a member of the Armed Forces on active duty, or the spouse or dependent of a member of the Armed Forces on active duty, your father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in- law, grandfather, grandmother, brother, sister, son, daughter, stepparent, stepchild, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece may request an absentee ballot for you, using either a special form provided by the county board or an FPCA.

F. Late Registration

If a member of the U.S. Armed Forces is discharged after the voter registration deadline, that person and the person’s spouse are permitted to vote before Election Day at the office of the board of elections in the county in which he or she is eligible to register.