Uniformed and Overseas Voters

According to RSA 657:19-a, “[a]n absentee ballot request on the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) or in any other form received on or after January 1 of each year shall be valid through December 31 of the same year for all state and municipal elections to be held in that year, subject to the request of the voter and the eligibility of the voter. Provided, however, that an absentee ballot for the presidential primary shall be sent to all voters requesting an absentee ballot for the primary or any election prior to the primary during the general election year and the prior year.”

An FPCA requesting absentee ballots, received in 2019, is valid for all subsequent state and municipal elections throughout 2019 and the Presidential Primary held in 2020.

A new FPCA must be submitted in 2022 requesting absentee ballots for the 2022 State Primary and General Elections.

An FPCA will be processed for an election if it is received on the day before the election.

No. An FPCA requesting absentee ballots received in 2019, is valid for all subsequent state and municipal elections throughout 2019 and the Presidential Primary, even if the Presidential Primary is held in 2020.

A new FPCA must be submitted requesting absentee ballots for the 2022 State Primary and General Elections.

A Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) received in 2019 is valid for all subsequent state and municipal elections throughout 2019 and the Presidential Primary held in 2020.

A new FPCA must be submitted requesting absentee ballots for the 2022 State Primary and General Elections.

The voter may download the FPCA or the FWAB from the U.S. Department of Defense FVAP website at http://www.fvap.gov/. A uniformed or overseas citizen (UOCAVA) voter may be sent a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) by mail, e-mail or fax by their city/town clerk, or they may go to the FVAP site on-line to print an FPCA or FWAB.

A completed and signed Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) can be sent by the voter by mail, fax, or as an email attachment to the town or city clerk.

No.

A voter must mail a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) to the town or city clerk of the town or city in which the voter is registered to vote. The ballot will not be counted if it is transmitted electronically to the clerk.

The Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) is treated as a ballot if there is a valid request (FPCA) for an absentee ballot on file. The registration information that comes with the FWAB can be treated to complete a voter registration if it is properly completed. If there is a signature on a voter registration document from the voter on file, the voter information can be used to complete the registration process and the FWAB can be counted as a ballot. If there is no voter signature on a previous voter registration application, the FWAB cannot be counted as a ballot, even if the voter registration material with the FWAB is completed. RSA 657:10-b; 657:12; 657:23

The Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) can be processed for counting if it is received through the U.S. mail or commercial carrier by 5:00 PM on an election day. RSA 657:22

The Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) may be used by a voter to vote for federal offices only in general, special, and primary elections. RSA 657:10-b

Link to the U.S. Department of Defense’s FVAP (Federal Voting Assistance Program) site at www.fvap.gov to obtain a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB).

Instructions to complete the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) are also found on the U.S. Department of Defense’s FVAP site at www.fvap.gov

Absentee ballot requests in letter form are typically renewed for every election, unless the voter has established themselves as a uniformed or overseas voter and the voter has made a clear request to be sent ballots for more than one election.   This is typically done on a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).  Military (uniformed) and overseas voters are urged to update their Federal Post Card Application requests early in each calendar year that they intend to vote, because information on these forms might be outdated or incomplete.  Starting on January 1, 2019, FPCAs will be honored through the end of the calendar year that they are received, except that in each year before a Presidential Election requests on a FPCA form will be honored through the Presidential Primary in the following year, subject to the voter’s request. 

A new FPCA must be submitted requesting absentee ballots for the 2022 State Primary and General Elections.

Yes. Voters who go on to the Secretary of State’s Voter Information Look-up and enter their first name, last name, town or city, and date-of-birth can check to see whether the clerk has received such an envelope.

If the military (uniformed) or overseas voter does not receive an absentee ballot in time to return a ballot within normal mailing time frames, the voter should attempt to return the ballot anyway, since the military and other overseas locations often provide express or expedited services to assist voters prior to federal elections. The voter is advised to download a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) from the FVAP site (www.fvap.gov) and mail the FWAB using the military’s express mail services.

There are many ways to determine whether there is time to vote.  The location of the voter and his or her proximity to a mail facility affects how much time there will be to return a ballot. In general, the voter should request the write-in absentee ballot in time to obtain a ballot and mail it back.  After the voter has requested an absentee ballot, the voter should regularly check the Secretary of State’s absentee ballot tracking web link at Voter Information Look-up to determine whether (a) the clerk received the request, and (b) whether the clerk mailed it out.   As soon as ballots have been printed, clerks generally send out absentee ballots within one business day of receipt of the request.  Therefore, if the system shows your request being received but not sent out after one business day, call or e-mail the clerk.

You may access the Secretary of State’s Registered Voter web link at https://app.sos.nh.gov , enter your first name, last name, town or city, and date of birth. Any voter may verify their registration by contacting the supervisors of the checklist or town/city clerk in your town of domicile at the number provided on the Secretary of State’s website: https://app.sos.nh.gov

Military (uniformed) voters must re-register if they move their domicile and choose to vote where they establish a new domicile. If they wish to remain as a voter in the State of New Hampshire, they are not obligated to re-register simply because they have moved from state to state or overseas. They can vote at their “home of record”, which is the address the military (uniformed) member had upon entry into the service, so long as they do not register to vote elsewhere.