EAC | Serving UOCAVA Voters

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

April 2023 | Version 1.0 

Fact Sheet: Serving UOCAVA Voters

What is UOCAVA? 

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) requires states and territories to allow 

overseas and absent members of the military, military family members, and overseas citizens, to register and 

vote in all federal elections. UOCAVA requires election officials to follow special procedures when serving 

military and overseas voters. 

This fact sheet provides quick-reference information for election officials as well as links to additional resources. 

However, there are many federal resources available to help election officials serve voters covered under 

UOCAVA. More information about serving UOCAVA voters can be found at www.eac.gov/uocava and 

www.fvap.gov/eo. 

Who qualifies as a UOCAVA voter? 

Specific groups of American citizens are covered by UOCAVA. These groups are1: 

• Members of the Uniformed Services (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Space Force,

United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration Commissioned Corps)

• Members of the Merchant Marine

• Eligible family members of the above

• U.S. citizens residing outside the U.S.

What are my responsibilities as an Election Official? 

UOCAVA requires election officials to send ballots to UOCAVA voters at least 45 days prior to each federal 

election. Election officials are also required to process FPCA and FWAB forms according to state and federal law. 

This includes: 

• Accepting the FPCA form as a simultaneous voter registration application and absentee ballot request.

The FPCA serves as a ballot request during the calendar year in which it was received at a minimum but

may be valid longer depending on state law.

• Accepting the FWAB as a backup ballot for UOCAVA

voters. If both a state ballot and FWAB are received,

follow state procedures.

• Provide an electronic option for blank ballot delivery

and provide the ballot electronically to UOCAVA

voters, upon request.

• Accepting voting materials from UOCAVA voters,

transmission methods vary depending on state law.

Requested ballots must be sent 

to UOCAVA voters at least 

45 days

prior to each federal election.

1 https://www.fvap.gov/eo/overview

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EAC | Serving UOCAVA Voters

What is FVAP? 

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), in the US 

Department of Defense, ensures UOCAVA voters are aware 

of their absentee voting rights and have the tools and 

resources to successfully cast a ballot from anywhere in the 

world. Some of the resources provided by FVAP include: 

• Resources for Voters:

o Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) Form – This form is used by UOCAVA voters to both

register to vote and request an absentee ballot.2

o Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) Form – The FWAB serves as a backup ballot to vote for

federal offices.3

o Voting Assistance Guide (The Guide) –. The Guide includes information on registering and voting

in all 55 States, territories, and the District of Columbia, how voters can return their ballots, and

what information is required on the FPCA and FWAB forms. Importantly, the Guide also includes

contact information for state and local elections offices.4

• Resources for Election Officials

o Voter Outreach Materials – FVAP has created a wide variety of handouts, factsheets, toolkits,

and other resources.5

o Election Official Toolkit – FVAP specifically created an outreach toolkit for Election Officials that

is designed to support election offices in their efforts to reach UOCAVA voters.

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o Training – This online, self-paced training covers several topics: UOCAVA, FVAP, using the FPCA

and FWAB forms, how election officials support UOCAVA voters, and communicating with and

assisting UOCAVA voters.7

o Election Forms and Tools for Sending – Downloadable versions of the FPCA and FWAB forms

(including several bilingual versions), templates for postage-free return envelopes, and a

coversheet for forms received electronically.8

What are the FPCA and FWAB forms? 

UOCAVA voters rely on two essential federally prescribed forms: 

• The Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)

• The Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB)

The FPCA serves as both a voter registration application and an absentee ballot request 

form. While state laws vary on how long this request is valid, UOCAVA voters can use 

the FPCA as a single ballot request for all federal elections during the calendar year in 

which it is submitted. 

2 https://www.fvap.gov/fpca-privacy-notice 3 https://www.fvap.gov/uploads/FVAP/Forms/fwab.pdf?searchHint=true 4 http://www.fvap.gov/guide 5 https://www.fvap.gov/info/outreach 6 https://www.fvap.gov/uploads/FVAP/Outreach-Materials/OutreachToolkit_EO_2022-(1).pdf 7 https://www.fvap.gov/training/get-started.html 8 https://www.fvap.gov/eo/overview/materials/forms 

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EAC | Serving UOCAVA Voters

The FWAB is an emergency or “back-up” ballot available for citizens covered under UOCAVA. It is used to vote in 

any election for federal offices and as otherwise permitted by state law. UOCAVA requires voters to meet the 

following criteria to use a FWAB: 

• The citizen must be a member of the Uniformed Services or Merchant Marine (or eligible family 

member), or a United States citizen overseas who is absent from their place of residence where they are 

otherwise qualified to vote, and 

• Not have received the requested regular absentee ballot from the state 

• Depending on your state’s law, the FWAB may also be used to request voter registration and/or an 

absentee ballot. 

UOCAVA stipulates that voters may also return the state-issued absentee ballot after returning the FWAB, as the 

state ballot may offer other offices or referenda. Only one ballot is counted for each voter.

What is a voting residence? 

A voting residence is the state or address where a UOCAVA voter is registered to vote and 

serves as the physical address to determine the absentee ballot precinct. The rules and 

considerations vary for different categories of UOCAVA voters: 

• Service Members

o For service members, a voting residence is the voter’s state of legal residence 

or domicile. This is the address the voter considers to be their permanent 

home and where they had a physical presence. 

o A service member’s state of legal residence is used for state income tax purposes, determining 

eligibility to vote in federal and state elections and qualification for in-state tuition rates. This 

residence is not necessarily the service member’s “home of record.” The “home of record” is 

where the service member lived when they entered the military. 

o Service members may choose to establish residency each time they are transferred to a new 

location; however, once the service member changes their residency, they may not revert to a 

previous residence without re-establishing physical presence according to residency laws of 

that state.

o Service members may need to consult their legal counsel, Judge Advocate General, or military 

legal assistance office to determine possible tax implications (or other considerations) of 

changing their permanent residence. 

o Additional information and considerations for service 

members can be found here: 

https://www.fvap.gov/military-voter/voting-residence 

• Military Spouses and Eligible Family Members

o Under the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act

(MSRRA), military spouses may choose the same 

residency as their spouse even if they have not 

physically been present at that address. They may also 

choose to retain their separate residency as well. 

o Military spouses may need to consult legal counsel to 

discuss tax implications and other impacts of changing 

their residency address. 

Did You Know?

If a UOCAVA voter cannot 

remember their last physical address, 

they should consult old records or IDs

that may establish their residency. 

Election officials may also be able to 

look up the individual’s previous voter 

registration record to establish their 

voting residence. 

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EAC | Serving UOCAVA Voters

o Some children turn 18 while their family is stationed overseas. To vote, they should use the last 

U.S. address they had before departing to the parent’s current duty station.

• Overseas Citizens

o Overseas citizens may use the address where they lived immediately prior to leaving the United 

States. This residence may remain valid even if: 

 The voter no longer owns property or has other ties to that state.

 The voter’s intent to return to that state is uncertain.

 The voter’s previous address is no longer a recognized residential address.

o Voting in an election for federal offices may not be 

used as the sole basis of determining residency for the 

purpose of imposing state and local taxes.

o Overseas voters should consult legal counsel before 

claiming a new legal residence or domicile, as there 

may be other factors to consider, such as tax 

implications. 

• Never Resided Voters

o Voting rights vary by state for U.S. citizens born 

overseas who have never established residence in the 

United States. In many states, U.S. citizens 18 years or 

older who were born abroad but have never resided in 

the U.S. are eligible to vote absentee using a parent’s 

legal residence address. Check here or with your state

office for your state’s rules.

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• Students Studying Abroad

o Students who are living overseas for an extended 

period during an election season and want to vote 

absentee should use the FPCA to request an absentee 

ballot. The student’s voting residence will be their last 

legal residence prior to leaving the United States to 

study abroad.

• Voting residence and the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)

o Election officials should review the FPCA and other forms for completion and accuracy and 

contact the voter if clarifications are required to determine their voter eligibility or the current 

location to send the blank absentee ballot.

Did You Know?

UOCAVA voters must be 

registered to vote at an address in the 

US. The voter may not have lived in 

that residence for a number of years, 

and they may be properly registered to 

vote at that address, even if the 

residence is home to other registered 

voters.

Occasionally, current residents may 

receive election mail for a UOCAVA 

voter who no longer lives at that 

address. Election officials should

explain to the current resident that a 

military or overseas voter is eligible to 

use their former physical residence for 

voter registration purposes, even if 

they typically receive mail overseas. 

9 https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter/reside

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EAC | Serving UOCAVA Voters

Additional Resources

Acronym Glossary

Acronym Definition Acronym Definition

APO Army Post Office MOVE Act Military and Overseas Voter 

Empowerment Act

DPO Diplomatic Post Office NVRA National Voter Registration Act

FPCA Federal Post Card Application SVAO Service Voting Action Officer

FPO Fleet Post Office UVAO Unit Voting Assistance Officer

FVAP Federal Voting Assistance Program UOCAVA Uniformed and Overseas Citizens 

Absentee Voting Act

FWAB Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot VAO Voting Assistance Officer

Comparing the

FPCA and FWAB Forms

Form Features FPCA FWAB 

Can be emailed or faxed to voters  

Can be completed by the voter online  

Serves as a voter registration application  ?

Serves as an absentee ballot application  ?

Serves as a single ballot request for at least one calendar year 

Contains a voter’s contact information  

Serves as a back-up ballot unless the voter returns their official ballot 

before the state’s ballot return deadline X 

Should be submitted with a secrecy envelope X 

Can be returned to election officials by email or fax ? ?

= Yes for all states.

X = No for all states.

? = Varies by state. Check your state’s UOCAVA voter policies.

Contact Information

Additional information about serving UOCAVA voters can be found here:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP):

• Website: www.eac.gov/uocava • Website: www.fvap.gov/eo

• Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov • Phone: 1-800-438-VOTE (8683)

• Email: vote@fvap.gov

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