It’s almost time to vote! Here’s what every military member voting absentee needs to know.

As all eyes turn to the upcoming General Election and we put in our bids for Commander in Chief, let’s not forget that our military members - the people who put their lives on the line for this country - may miss out on the opportunity to vote.

The reason? Some simply don’t know the process for voting when you’re away from your voting residence (due to training, deployments or PCSs).

The good news is that it’s easy to vote absentee from anywhere in the world once you understand the process.

Here’s what every military member should know about voting absentee:

1. It’s a two-step process

First, register and request your ballot with one form called the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). Go to http://rly.pt/FVAP-gov and select your state of voting residence.

Let’s talk a little bit about that. Your voting residence is the fixed address that you consider your permanent home and where you had a physical presence. You use it for your state income tax. Be careful not to confuse your voting residence with your home of record (that’s the place you lived when you first entered the military). These two aren’t necessarily the same.
If you want to participate in the General Election on November 8, we recommend you fill out and send in your FPCA as soon as possible.
Second, when your absentee ballot arrives, fill it out and send it to your election office. Make sure you sign the enclosed affidavit or envelope as required by your State.

For the General Election, we suggest sending your ballot back by October 10, 2016 if you’re on a ship at sea; October 15, 2016 if you’re outside the U.S., and November 1, 2016 if you’re stateside.

2. You can get help filling out your FPCA — online or in person

FVAP’s online assistant offers tips on how to fill out the FPCA as you’re doing it, and when you’re done, you can download the populated form, so all you have to do is print, sign and send in. The instructions on where and how to send in your form by mail, email or fax — whatever your state allows — will be included.

Hard copies of the FPCA are also available at the Voting Assistance Office on your base or installation, and your Voting Assistance Officer (VAO) can help with anything you need.

3. It’s OK if you don’t get your ballot in time

If you’ve submitted your FPCA but don’t receive your ballot by early October, that’s okay. Get a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) from the FVAP website. Fill it out and send it in like your regular ballot.

If your absentee ballot eventually shows up, you can fill it out and sent it in too. Your ballot will only be counted once if both get to your election office on time.

4. You can check your voted ballot status

Want to make sure your election office received your ballot? Go to the FVAP website to see when it was received.

5. Your spouse can vote absentee too

If your military spouse lives away from his/her voting residence, he/she can use the same two-step process above to register and request that ballots be sent to them.

Get started today at FVAP!