The responsibility of voting is a freedom that has been paid for by the blood of America’s most dedicated and courageous warriors. Therefore, the program is committed to assisting service members, their voting-age family members, and overseas Department of Defense civilian employees in successfully exercising their right to vote for federal elections.

According to the program’s website, FVAP provides U.S. citizens a broad range of non-partisan information and assistance to facilitate their participation in the democratic process - regardless of where they work or live. The program also administers the federal responsibilities of the National Voter Registration Act, which designates armed forces recruiting offices nationwide as voter registration agencies that allow eligible U.S. citizens to apply for voter registration, or apply to change voter registration data.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program also provides assistance and information with absentee ballots.

To further enhance the reliability of absentee ballots, the Military Postal Service Agency recently began providing free expedited ballot delivery with tracking capabilities to local election offices for military employees and their family members stationed overseas.

“It’s a great opportunity for dedicated voters to keep an eye on their ballot,” said Maria Ruiz, unit voting officer, Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. “Voters now have the ability to personally watch the progress of their vote and ensure it has been accepted.”

Each voter must first go to their local post office or postal clerk and fill-out the Label 11 - DOD on the absentee ballot and mail it.  Enrollees will then be able to track the status of the ballot on the U.S. Postal Service website.

“If you don’t vote, you can’t make a change,” said Ruiz. “We owe it to the men and women of our nation who have given the ultimate sacrifice to exercise our right to choose the nations leaders.”

If a ballot has not been received by Oct. 1, voters can use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot as an alternative, which is obtained at your local post office. If voters receive a state ballot after submitting the FWAB, they should complete the FWAB and return the ballot as well.  The state will only count the FWAB if the ballot is not received by the deadline.

For more information about voter registration, contact your unit’s voting assistance officer or log onto http://www.FVAP.gov and review the Voting Assistance Guide for more details.