Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP)

Federal Voting Assistance Program
Basic facts
Website:	Official website

The Federal Voting and Assistance Program (FVAP) is a federally administered program established by the Federal Voting Assistance Act of 1955. The FVAP was created to provide military service members, their families, and eligible citizens residing abroad the resources and information necessary to vote in U.S. elections. The Director of the FVAP administers The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) on behalf of the Secretary of Defense.

History

The Federal Voting Assistance Program was created under the Federal Voting Assistance Act of 1955 and acts on behalf of the United States Secretary of Defense. The FVAP administers the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) of 1986, which is legislation meant to ensure that military voters and U.S. citizens living abroad have the resources and information necessary to vote absentee. The FVAP informs voters covered under the UOCAVA about their voting rights and ensures they have access to the resources needed to cast their vote.

Since its enactment, Congress amended the UOCAVA, including in response to issues related to absentee ballots during the 2000 Presidential Election, when eligible voters in Florida were removed from voter registration rolls or turned away at the polls. The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 modified the UOCAVA, partially in response to the issues in the 2000 presidential election. Other legislation amending the UOCAVA includes the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2002, The Ronald W. Reagan Defense Authorization Act for FY2005, and the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for FY2007. A significant modification was made to UOCAVA in 2009 under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY2010. This act included an amendment containing the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act, which created new voter registration procedures for these voters.

Purpose

According to the Federal Voting Assistance Program website, the FVAP

"works to ensure Service members, their eligible family members, and overseas citizens are aware of their right to vote and have the tools and resources to do so - from anywhere in the world successfully.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program exists to:

• Assist military and overseas citizen voters in exercising their right to vote - no matter where they are.
• Assist the states in complying with relevant federal laws by providing current information.
• Reduce obstacles to ensure military and overseas voting success."

The Federal Voting Assistance Program administers the federal duties of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), which requires states to transmit requested absentee ballots to UOCAVA voters no later than 45 days before a federal election. According to the Federal Voting Assistance Program website, the types of citizens covered under UOCAVA are:

• Members of the Uniformed Services, such as members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, United States Public Health Service, Commissioned Corps, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps
• Members of the Merchant Marines
• Eligible family members of the Uniformed Services and Merchant Marines
• U.S. citizens who live abroad

Leadership

As of May 2024, the FVAP's program director was J. Scott Wiedmann, working under the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Personnel and Readiness. Weidman joined the FVAP in 1993.

Work

Voting assistance guides

The FVAP has created online voting assistance guides where absentee voters can find information on how to register and vote absentee in their state. Voting Assistance officers are also given guidance on how they can promote voter awareness, assist absentee voters, and manage their program.

The FVAP website provides information on voting absentee to military voters, eligible military family members, and voters residing abroad. The website encourages voters to use the Federal Post Card Application to start the absentee voting process as well as supplying state-specific absentee voting information.

Outreach Materials

The FVAP website provides outreach materials such as handouts and fact sheets to assist military service members, family members, and overseas citizens in voting absentee. These materials are available to print from their website. They also provide informational videos and voting posters with information on contacting a Voting Assistance Officer for information about voting.

Reports and Surveys

The FVAP is required to report to Congress their effectiveness, activities, and various research initiatives. The FVAP website publishes Post-Election Survey Reports and Annual Effectiveness Reports.

Post-Election Survey Reports

Per the FVAP's website,

"these surveys are conducted:

• To determine participation in the electoral process by UOCAVA citizens.
• To assess the impact of our efforts to simplify and ease the process of voting absentee.
• To evaluate other progress made to facilitate absentee voting participation.
• To identify any remaining obstacles to voting experienced by these citizens."

Annual Effectiveness Reports

This report provides an annual assessment of FVAP activities. The FVAP website states they are "included in Post-Election Reports to Congress in years with a regularly scheduled federal election."

External links

• Federal Voting Assistance Program Website
• FVAP YouTube Channel
• Ballotpedia Absentee/Mail in Voting Page

See also

• Absentee/mail-in voting
• Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002
• Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act

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