Absentee Voting Assistance for Uniformed Services Members and Overseas Citizens

The Federal Voting Assistance Program provides U.S. citizens worldwide 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 UOCAVA requires that the states and territories allow certain U.S. citizens, as defined below, to register and vote absentee in elections for Federal office. These groups include:

  • members of the Uniformed Services (including Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard)
  • Merchant Marine
  • Eligible family members of the above
  • Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service, and Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • U.S. citizens employed by the Federal Government residing outside the U.S., and
  • All other private U.S. citizens residing outside the U.S.

Some states and territories also allow citizens covered by the UOCAVA to register and vote in state and local elections as well.
The FVAP also acts on behalf of the Secretary of Defense to administer the Federal responsibilities of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which designates armed forces recruiting offices nationwide as voter registration agencies allowing eligible U.S. citizens to apply for voter registration, or apply to change voter registration data, at 6000 Armed Forces Recruitment Offices nationwide.
We accomplish our mission by providing services to:

  • thousands of military Voting Assistance Officers (VAOs) around the globe
  • more than 250 Embassy and Consulate VAOs
  • hundreds of state officials
  • nearly 13,000 local government officials
  • hundreds of representatives of worldwide organizations and corporations
  • personnel at 6,000 Armed Forces Recruiting Offices, and
  • all citizens eligible to apply for voter registration, or change voter registration data at Armed Forces Recruitment Offices.
  • In all, these total approximately 205 million U.S. citizens of voting age.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program can be reached at:

Director
Federal Voting Assistance Program
Office of the Secretary of Defense
1155 Defense Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20301-1155
Email vote@fvap.ncr.gov
Toll-free 800-438-8683
Toll free numbers from 67 countries.