Official Voter Information Guide

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Special Arrangements for
Military and Overseas Voters

Federal law allows United States citizens serving in the military or living overseas to register for and vote using special absentee ballot procedures. To qualify as a "special absentee voter," you must be:

  • An active duty member of the military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard) or other uniformed service;
  • A spouse or dependent of a member of the military;
  • A member of the Merchant Marine; or
  • A civilian U.S. citizen living outside the United States.

You can register to vote and complete a special absentee ballot application at www.fvap.gov.

For more information about registering to vote as a special absentee voter, go to www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_mov.htm.

As a special absentee voter, you can fax or mail your ballot to your county elections office. If you fax your voted ballot, you must also include an "Oath of Voter" form that waives your right to a confidential vote. All ballots must be received by the county elections office before the polls close at 8:00 p.m. (PST) on Election Day. Postmarks do not count.

If you are recalled to military service less than seven days before Election Day, you can go to the elections office in the county to which you are recalled and apply for an absentee ballot.

Contact information for all 58 California county elections offices is at www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_d.htm.