Absentee voter registration under way

  • Published
  • By Army Sgt. Stephanie L. Carl
  • 17th Public Affairs Detachment
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) --  In just five months, voters nationwide will be taking advantage of their Constitutional rights as they help decide who will win the 2004 general election. With many servicemembers and civilian employees deployed overseas, voting by absentee ballot is just as important to the election as the votes of those still in the United States.

“Voting is just one of the rights we’re here for,” said Marine Maj. Bryan Carter, Coalition Joint Task Force-76 senior voting assistance officer. “Voting is how our democracy works. Really, it’s how we speak to our government.”

By registering to vote on a Standard Form 76, Federal Post Card Application, U.S. citizens overseas can vote in all elections held at their home of record for a period of one year. The only requirements to be eligible to vote are that you are a U.S. citizen who will be 18 years old on the date of the election.

“Once you fill out a SF-76, you send it back to the [United] States, where it gets approved by your local voting official,” Major Carter said. He said it is important to make sure all your data on the card is correct, otherwise, it may affect the district a person is able to vote in.

District registration gives voters a voice regarding different laws being considered in their voting district, and it allows them to vote in elections at every level.

An alternative to the standard form is the online version of the FPCA. The online version can be filled out on the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s official Web site at www.fvap.gov, printed out and mailed to local voting officials.

After a local voting official approves the registration form, the voter will receive ballots in the mail for every election held in the next year, Major Carter said.

Major Carter said he anticipates ballots for the presidential election to arrive sometime in September; however, those who want their vote counted should not wait until the last minute to mail in their ballots.

This election year, a lot of attention is focused on absentee voters getting their paperwork in on time and participating in the elections.

“A big concern right now is that there are so many servicemembers (and civilians) deployed right now,” Major Carter said. “That’s why there’s so much of an emphasis on voting.

“We want to make sure everyone knows that individuals do count,” he said. “And their votes will be counted for their future. Our elections aren’t just about people; they’re about taxes, bonds, referendums, schools, cities and counties. We’re allowing the people we elect to work and perform different functions, and by voting, we get to approve or disapprove many of these functions.”