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Military and Overseas Citizens

Registering and Voting by Mail

Members of the United States Uniformed Services on active duty and the Merchant Marines, their spouses and dependents, and United States citizens residing outside of the United States may apply for voter registration or request a vote by mail ballot with a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), which may be obtained from a Voting Assistance Officer or through the internet at http://www.fvap.gov. The Federal Post Card Application request for a vote by mail ballot will be effective for all elections through the next two regularly scheduled general elections. If the FPCA is not available, you may request by calling 850-547-1107; written request by mail to 201 N. Oklahoma St., Ste. 102, Bonifay, FL 32425; by fax 850-547-4168; or e-mail therisa@holmeselections.com and a voter registration application or vote by mail ballot will be sent to you.

If you are overseas, you may have your vote by mail ballot either faxed or e-mailed to you, in lieu of receiving it by regular mail. You will need to indicate your preference at the time your vote by mail ballot request is made as the default method of delivery is via first class mail. We encourage you to include your e-mail address on any forms or correspondence and to update same along with both physical and mailing addresses whenever changes occur. It is especially important to notify the Elections Office of mailing address changes as vote by mail ballots cannot be forwarded.

Once your vote by mail ballot is voted, you may either return it by fax or you may mail it to the Supervisor of Elections so that it is received no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day. (A vote by mail ballot from an overseas voter in any Presidential Preference Primary or General Election which is postmarked or dated no later than the date of the election and is received by the supervisor of elections of the county in which the overseas voter is registered no later than 10 days after the date of the election shall be counted as long as the vote by mail ballot is otherwise proper.) Voted ballots returned via e-mail will not be accepted. Carefully follow the instructions sent to you with your vote by mail ballot to ensure that it is counted. You must be sure to not only sign, but DATE the vote by mail ballot envelope to ensure that your ballot is counted. Your vote by mail ballot may be tracked at www.holmeselections.com by selecting Voter Information and then Voter Information Search.

If an overseas voter's request for a vote by mail ballot includes an e-mail address, the supervisor of elections will inform the voter of the names of candidates who will be on the ballots via e-mail. The supervisor of elections will e-mail to the voter the list of candidates for the primary and general election not later than 30 days before each election. (see sections 101.6952 and 101.697, Florida Statutes)

Additional information for military and overseas voters is available from:

http://www.fvap.gov

Or by contacting:

Director

Federal Voting Assistance Program

Office of the Secretary of Defense

Washington Headquarters Services

1155 Defense Pentagon

Washington, D.C. 20301-1155

FVAP Fax 703-588-0108

Email vote@fvap.gov

Toll-free 800-438-8683

State Write-in Ballot

Per Florida Statue 101.6951 an overseas voter may request, not earlier than 180 days before a general election, a state write-in vote by mail ballot from the supervisor of elections in the county of registration. In order to receive a state write-in ballot, the voter shall state that due to military or other contingencies that preclude normal mail delivery, the voter cannot vote a vote by mail ballot during the normal vote by mail voting period. In completing the ballot, the overseas voter may designate his or her choice by writing in the name of the candidate or by writing in the name of a political party, in which case the ballot must be counted for the candidate of that political party, if there is such a party candidate on the ballot.

Late Registration

An individual or accompanying family member who has been discharged or separated from the uniformed services, Merchant Marine, has returned from a military deployment or activation, or has separated from employment outside the territorial limits of the United States, after the book closing for an election pursuant to section 97.0555, Florida Statutes and who is otherwise qualified, may register to vote in such election until 5:00P.M. on the Friday before that election in the office of the Supervisor of Elections. Such persons must produce sufficient documentation showing evidence of qualifying for the late registration pursuant to this section.