Dutchess County Board of Elections

Federal Voting

https://newyork.overseasvotefoundation.org/overseas/home.htm

 

United States citizens living outside of the United States are entitled to vote from their last United States address. Click for Federal Voting NEWS. More information on overseas voting is available here.

Residency

Guidelines for establishing your voting residency while overseas can be found here. If that address was in New York, your completed Federal Post Card Application - or FPCA for short - should be sent to the Board of Elections in the county in which you lived, prior to moving overseas. Your FPCA registers you and also serves as your absentee ballot application.

Application Form

For more information relating to the FPCA application process and an online form, click here. Or use the following link for just the FPCA application form.

Things to Remember When Filling Out the FPCA:

1. Fill out ALL blocks shaded in your state or territories' instructions in the Guide.
2. When filling out Block 3, "My Voting Residence", you must include a complete street address of where you actually lived in the state or territory in which you are voting, in order for the LEO to place you in the proper voting precinct. A post office box is not appropriate. If your address includes a Rural Route, use Block 6 "Additional Information" to indicate the specific location of your residence. For example, state "2 miles south of the intersection of Route 9 and I-34."
   This address should be different from your Block 4 address and must be within the county or township where you claim legal voting residence.
   
3. When filling out Block 4.a, "Where to Send My Voting Materials", enter the complete mailing address where you are currently living and where you wish to receive your absentee ballots. This address must be different from your Block 3 address. If you will have a new mailing address by the time election materials will be sent to you, please be sure to indicate this address here.
4. In order to vote in Presidential or state primaries, you must specify your party affiliation in Block 5.

Voting for What Offices

You may vote for federal offices:

President/Vice President

United States Senate

Congressional representatives

In years in which presidential conventions are held, you may also be eligible to vote for those convention delegates.

Once registered:

You will receive ballots by mail for each of these elections in which you are eligible to vote;

Your application will be valid for 2 federal elections;

Once registered, you will receive forms directly from your board of elections, on which you must update your overseas address. Always be sure to share any change of address information with your Board of Elections;

If you move back to the US, contact your board of elections, to have your registration reflect that change;

Questions?

Call the State Board of Elections at 518-473-5086 or the Federal Voter Assistance Program at 1-800-438-8683, or your United States Embassy office.Or visit www.fvap.gov for more information.

Ten Ways to Ensure your Federal Vote is Counted

1. Start by contacting your Unit/Embassy/Organization Voting Assistance Officer for help in absentee registration and voting.
2. Visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s website at www.fvap.gov for information on the absentee registration and voting process.
3. Ensure that you have applied for your absentee ballot using the hard copy or on-line versions of the FPCA.
4. Make sure your local election official has your current mailing address.
5. Sign and date all election materials.
6. Fulfill your state’s witness/notary requirements (if required).
7. Ensure that your ballot or FPCA is postmarked.
8. Register to vote and request your ballot in a timely manner - not later than September.
9. VOTE - mail your ballot not later than October 15th of the election year.
10. Use the Federal Write In Absentee Ballot if you are overseas and your State absentee ballot does not arrive in time to be mailed back by the state’s deadline.