Uniformed Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA)
Am I a UOCAVA voter?
UOCAVA electors are:
- A member of the Uniformed Services or Merchant Marines on active duty, absent from their place of residence;
- An eligible spouse or dependent of #1;
- A U.S. citizen residing outside the U.S. temporarily; or
- A U.S. citizen residing outside the U.S. indefinitely. (Federal Ballot Only)
Where do I register to vote?
Military Citizens: For members of the Uniformed Services and their family members, the legal voting residence is defined as where the citizen currently has, or has had, physical presence and where there is the intent to remain or return.
Citizens residing outside the United States: Your "legal state of residence" for voting purposes is the address where you last resided immediately prior to your departure from the U.S. This residence remains valid, even though the citizen may no longer own property or have other ties to their last state residence and their intent to return to that state may be uncertain.
“C.R.S. 1-2-201(1)(a)(I) The residence of a person is the principal or primary home or place of abode of a person. A principal or primary home or place of abode is that home or place in which a person's habitation is fixed and to which that person, whenever absent, has the present intention of returning after a departure or absence, regardless of the duration of the absence. A residence is a permanent building or part of a building and may include a house, condominium, apartment, room in a house, or mobile home. No vacant lot or business address shall be considered a residence…
(b)In determining what is the principal or primary place of abode of a person, the following circumstances relating to the person shall be taken into account: Business pursuits, employment, income sources, residence for income or other tax purposes, age, marital status, residence of parents, spouse, and children, if any, leaseholds, situs of personal and real property, existence of any other residences and the amount of time spent at each residence, and motor vehicle registration.
(c)The residence given for voting purposes shall be the same as the residence given for motor vehicle registration and for state income tax purposes.
(d)A person shall not be considered to have gained a residence in this state, or in any county or municipality in this state, while retaining a home or domicile elsewhere.”
If you are uncertain about your current legal voting residence, please contact your Voting Assistance Officer (VAO) or the County Clerk and Recorder where you last resided.
As a UOCAVA elector of the State of Colorado, how do I register to vote and receive my absentee ballot?
The Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), Standard Form 76 is used as voter registration application and as a request for an absentee ballot. In order to register and/or request an absentee ballot, the eligible U.S. citizen must carefully, legibly, and accurately complete a FPCA.
After completion of your FPCA, you should send it to your local Election Official as early as possible every year and whenever you change your mailing address.
El Paso County, Colorado
Mail: Election Department, PO Box 2007, Colorado Springs, CO 80901
Fax: (719) 520-7327
Email: uocava@elpasoco.com
If you are registering to vote, the County Clerk and Recorder must receive your FPCA no later than 29 days before the Election.
If you are a registered elector and requesting an absentee ballot, the County Clerk and Recorder must receive your FPCA no later than the close of business on the Tuesday immediately preceding the Election as this is the last day to apply for an absentee ballot by mail.
If I cannot vote a regular absentee ballot during the normal absentee voting period, can I vote early?
If you reside outside the U.S., Colorado provides a state special write-in absentee ballot if you cannot vote a regular absentee ballot during the normal absentee voting period because of military or other contingencies which preclude normal mail delivery.
This ballot is available 57 days before an election and you can use the FPCA to request it. In Block 6 of the FPCA, write “I cannot vote an absentee ballot during the normal absentee voting period due to military or other contingencies that preclude normal mail delivery (specify reasons). I request a special absentee ballot.”
You may vote the ballot by writing in the names of the party or specific candidates you wish to vote for.
Can I receive my ballot by fax?
UOCAVA citizens absent from the state are qualified to apply for and vote by absentee ballot. The request can be made on the FPCA or UOCAVA Fax Ballot Application. A request for a ballot by fax must be received no later than the close of business on the Friday immediately preceding the Election.
Note: By voting in this manner, the UOCAVA citizen voluntarily waives his/her right to a secret ballot.
Can I receive my ballot by Email?
A Uniformed Services Elector serving outside the United States may receive and return a voted ballot by email. This option is available only after it has been determined that there is no alternate way to send or receive a voted ballot by mail or fax. The request must be made on an Application for UOCAVA Electronic Mail-in Ballot. A request for a ballot by email must be received no later than the close of business on the Friday immediately preceding the Election.
Note: By voting in this manner, the UOCAVA citizen voluntarily waives his/her right to a secret ballot.
What happens if I do not receive a ballot from my local election office?
If you requested an absentee ballot but have not received it close to Election Day, you can still vote by using the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) at any Primary, General, or Congressional Vacancy Election. This entitles the eligible elector to vote for federal officers. The Federal candidate may be designated by writing in the name of the candidate or by writing in the name of a political party or political organization.
In order to be eligible to use the back-up FWAB, Uniformed Service members, their family members and overseas citizens must:
· Be absent from his/her voting residence;
· Have applied for a regular ballot early enough so the request is received by the appropriate local Election Official not later than the state deadline; or the date that is 30 days before the Election; AND
· Have not received the requested regular absentee ballot from the state.
Where can I get a back-up Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot?
Hardcopies of the back-up Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) are available through Voting Assistance Officers at military installations or at U.S. embassies/consulates. An online version is also available, which must be completed, printed, signed, dated, and mailed to your local Election Official. If you receive a state ballot after submitting a FWAB, vote and return the state provided ballot as well.
If you have any questions, please contact Jace Richards at (719) 520-7094 or uocava@elpasoco.com.
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