Contact

Elections (Registrar of Voters)
1601 Lana Way
Hollister, CA 95023

Email
sbcvote@sanbenitocountyca.gov

Phone
831-636-4016

Appointments
Elections Appointment Scheduler

Hours

Monday - Friday
8:00am - 5:00pm

Military & Overseas Voter Registration

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The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986, commonly referred to as UOCAVA, provides the legal basis for sending ballots to military and overseas voters.

UOCAVA allows overseas voters the ability to vote in all eligible elections, in a timely manner. UOCAVA voters will receive their ballot at least 45 days prior to election day. As a military and overseas voter, there are several different ways you can request and receive your ballot, then return your ballot once you are registered to vote.

Who can become a UOCAVA voter?

To qualify as a UOCAVA voter, you need to be:

An active duty member of the military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, and Coast Guard) or other uniformed service (commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration);
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.

Members of the California National Guard who have been called up for active duty are eligible to register as a “special absentee voter.” If you are not currently on active duty, visit the Secretary of State’s Voter Registration page for more information on how to register to vote.

You are eligible to vote in California’s federal, state and local elections if you are a U.S. citizen living temporarily outside the U.S. who lived in California immediately prior to your departure from the United States. If you are living abroad for an indefinite period, you can only vote in elections for federal offices (President, Vice President, U.S. Senate and House of Representatives).

Important information regarding your address

Election materials (including your ballot and sample ballot booklet) cannot be forwarded to an address that is different from the one you listed on your FPCA. By promptly re-registering, or submitting a new FPCA to your county elections official when you change your mailing address, you will ensure that you receive your ballot in a timely manner.

Even if you were registered to vote when you lived in California, in order to receive your elections materials and vote while living overseas, you need to apply for a UOCAVA Ballot. You can do this by:

Visiting the Secretary of State’s Register to Vote page
Faxing or mailing the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) that is accepted by all states and U.S. territories. The FPCA is postage-paid in the U.S. mail, including the Military Postal System and State Department Pouch mail. Members of the military can also obtain an FPCA from their installation’s Voting Assistance Officer. Civilian overseas voters can obtain an FPCA at any U.S. embassy or consulate. An online version of the FPCA, as well as mailing information and answers to frequently asked questions, is available at Federal Voting Assistance Program.

When you register as a UOCAVA Voter, you can choose to get your ballot mailed to you, faxed to you or emailed to you. We strongly encourage choosing to receive via email as it will ensure the fastest delivery as well as allow you direct access into the online ballot marking system (see Voting).

Toll Free Faxing Information

UOCAVA voters may fax their election materials toll-free to the Federal Voting Assistance Program at the numbers shown below. To do this, you will need to include the official fax cover sheet available on the FVAP website.

From the U.S., Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands:

(800) 368-8683
(703) 693-5527
DSN 223-5527 (Military)

From Other Countries:

Toll-free International Fax Numbers

Voting