Notice to Voters in the Military and Citizens Temporarily or Permanently Residing Outside the United States Who Use the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) To Register and Vote by Absentee Ballot

Under the "Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act" ("UOCAVA"), each State must permit absent uniformed service voters and overseas voters to use absentee registration procedures and to vote by absentee ballot in general, special, primary and runoff elections for Federal office. This notice is intended to inform those voters of the procedures that may be used to apply for, mark and return their absentee ballots.

Applicants on File

UOCAVA requires election authorities to keep completed Federal Post Card Applications (FPCA) on file as temporary registrations and absentee ballot requests through two federal general elections. Voters in the military and citizens temporarily or permanently residing outside the U.S. who submitted properly completed FPCA forms to the Board since the November 7, 2006 General Election will be sent absentee ballots for the November 2, 2010 General Election.

If you previously submitted an FPCA and have since returned to Chicago and wish to vote in-person, you must cancel your FPCA and register at your current address. Temporary registrations created by the FPCA form are not valid registrations for voting in-person at an Early Voting location or at your polling place on Election Day.  If you have any questions regarding absentee voting or your registration status, you may submit questions to fpca@chicagoelections.com. 

New Applicants: Apply by Oct. 22, 2010 

The deadline for the Board of Elections to receive an application for the upcoming General Election is Oct. 22, 2010. If you wish to apply for an absentee ballot through this absentee voting program, click here to download the FPCA application form.

All applicants can email or fax the completed and signed FPCA application to the Board at fpca@chicagoelections.com or 312-269-1624.  If you do not have access to a fax machine or the ability to scan documents, you may mail your completed and signed form to:

                        Board of Election Commissioners
                        Absentee Ballot Department
                        69West Washington Street - Suite 600
                        Chicago, Illinois 60602-3012

November 2, 2010 General Election

All FPCA applicants will be sent an absentee ballot for this election.

In September, the Absentee Ballot Department will begin sending a Special Write-in Absentee Voter's Blank Ballot ("Special Absentee Ballot") to all eligible FPCA applicants. Special Absentee Ballots will be sent by email, fax or mail. In addition to the Special Absentee Ballot, the Board also will mail an official ballot to you when the ballots become available. You may cast your absentee ballot by using either the Special Absentee Ballot or the official ballot. Or, you may mark and return both ballot forms; however, in the event both are returned, the Board will count only one of such ballots, as explained below.

Voted ballots must be returned by mail, a licensed motor carrier or submitted to a U.S. Embassy or Consulate for return to the United States (regular U.S. postage required).

Ballots that are returned by mail but not received by the Board by 7 p.m. Election Day will be counted if they are postmarked on or before November 1, 2010 and received no later than 5 p.m. on November 16, 2010.  Ballots returned by mail that lack a postmark will be counted if the date on the Certification completed by the voter is on or before November 1, 2010 and if those ballots are received no later than 5 p.m. on November 16, 2010.

If only one ballot (whether the Special Absentee Ballot or the official ballot) is received by the Board within the time allowed, the Board will count that ballot.  If the Board receives both the Special Absentee Ballot and the official ballot before the absentee ballot counting commences, the Special Absentee Ballot will be voided and the official ballot will be counted.  If a second ballot is received after the Board has counted the first ballot, the second ballot will be voided, regardless of whether it is the Special Absentee Ballot or the official ballot.  The central counting of absentee ballots will commence on Election Day after 7 p.m. and will conclude at 5 p.m. on November 16, 2010.