Voting program helps Airmen exercise their rights Published July 21, 2006 RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- Airmen and their families serving around the world have the right to vote and the Air Force Voting Program's mission is to ensure they have the information and tools needed to exercise that privilege. As a part of the program, every Air Force installation has designated voting assistance officers who can assist Airmen and voting age family members with the registration and voting process. Before deploying, Airmen receive voting materials needed to notify their state of their new mailing address. They continue to receive voting assistance from home voting officers and on-site PERSCO teams. "We want to ensure that every Airman's sacrifice of service does not interfere with his or her right to vote," said John Lowrence, Air Force voting action officer at the Air Force Personnel Center. "However, each person must accurately complete the absentee voting process, from registering and requesting a ballot to submitting the absentee ballot." Airmen serving away from their voting residence should use Federal Post Card Application Standard Form 76 to register and request absentee ballots. The SF 76 and 2006-07 Voting Assistance Guide, which lists the unique voting rules for each state, are available on line at www.fvap.gov or may be obtained from the base voting assistance officer. To help ensure their vote counts, officials remind Airmen to be careful when filling out the SF 76, as it is most often returned without action for the following reasons: -- Inadequate legal voting residence address. Address information was not sufficient to locate member's voting precinct/ward/parish/etc.-- Inadequate current mailing address. Member moved or deployed without forwarding an SF 76, letting the state know his or her new address. The post office will not forward ballots.-- Writing illegibly. -- Failure to indicate party preference. Primary ballots will not be sent without a party designation. -- Form incomplete. All information specified in the Voting Assistance Guide must be completed.-- Application sent to wrong jurisdiction -- see addresses listed in the Voting Assistance Guide. -- No signature. For more information or assistance on voting, contact the installation voting officer through or visit the Air Force Voting Action site at www.afcrossroads.com/voteFund/Vote/default.htm. (Courtesy of Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs)