Important Information For Military And Overseas Voters
On 10/25/2010 the Illinois State Board of Elections announced an extension of the deadline for accepting absentee ballots from military and US citizens living overseas in several Illinois counties for the November 2, 2010 General Election.
Consent Decree with the Department of Justice
The State Board of Elections, in its capacity as the Chief Election Official, has entered into an agreement with the Department of Justice to enforce provisions of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE) to ensure that all military personnel and U.S. citizens living overseas will have their absentee ballots counted for the November 2, 2010 General Election.
Illinois citizens, who live overseas or are serving in the U.S. armed forces and
will not be in their home county on Election Day, may register and vote by
using one of the methods outlined below. Please be advised that for military
personnel, Illinois law allows you to register to vote and to apply for an
absentee ballot at the same time.
Illinois Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (
MOVE)
The
MOVE site will enable you to set up a
MOVE account to register to vote and request
absentee ballots for upcoming Federal Elections. This site was designed to help ease the burden of members of the Uniformed Services
(and their eligible dependents) and overseas voters in requesting a voter registration and an absentee ballot application. This site will
give you the ability to keep in contact with your local election official and to track the status of your application and ballot.
Federal Voting Assistance Program
The Federal Postcard Application is a form provided by the Department of
Defense to permit members of the U.S. armed forces, their dependents and U.S.
citizens abroad to vote by absentee ballot and if necessary, to register to
vote. This Postcard Application may be submitted by mail, fax, or e-mail to your
respective
local election authority.
Military
and Overseas Voter Guidelines
The Military and Overseas Voter Guidelines Manual has been developed to help
Military personnel and all Illinois residents living overseas. This manual
outlines each step that needs to be taken to ensure your absentee ballot is
filled out correctly and that your vote will be counted. It will walk you
through the process of completing a FVAP application, it will help you to
locate your local election authority and it provides a list of frequently asked
questions.
Special State Write-In Ballot
If you feel the time is getting short and you have not yet received your full state ballot, please print off the Special State Write-In Ballot;
complete the ballot and mail back to your local election official. All address and e-mail information for the election authorities is available on this
website.