Military & Overseas Voters

Soldier registering to vote

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) provides resources and assistance that allow overseas and military citizens and their families to participate in elections from anywhere in the world. On their site, you'll find a Voting Assistance Guide, as well as important forms, including the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) and the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB). You'll also find an explanation of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). 

REGISTERING AND REQUESTING VOTE BY MAIL (ABSENTEE) BALLOTS

The Federal Post Card Application is the form that permits uniformed and overseas citizens to simultaneously register and request Vote By Mail ballots in the state or territory where they last resided immediately prior to departing the United States, even if they no longer maintain a residence in that state. If you reside outside the U.S., or you are an absent uniformed services voter, your ballot will be mailed at least 45 days before an election. 

To register and request an absentee ballot in the State of Florida:

1. Send a completed FPCA to the Supervisor of Elections office so that it arrives not later than 29 days before the election.

  • If you maintain a Florida residence, you will receive a ballot containing all local, state, and Federal races for which you are eligible to vote. 
  • If you are or were a registered voter and no longer maintain a Florida residence but you intend to return, you will receive a ballot with all state and Federal races. 
  • If you were never registered in Florida and no longer maintain a Florida residence but this is the last place you lived, you will receive a ballot for Federal races only. 

2. If you are already registered in Hillsborough County and you wish to request absentee ballots, send the completed FPCA to the Supervisor of Elections office so that it arrives not later than the Friday before the election. Alternatively, you can use any of our regular methods for requesting Vote By Mail.  

3. An FPCA application for an absentee ballot is effective for all elections through the next regularly scheduled general election.

4. The FPCA does not require postage if mailed within the U.S. postal system, including all U.S. military post offices (APO/FPO) overseas as well as diplomatic pouches.

NOTE: BALLOTS ARE NOT FORWARDABLE - Be sure to provide your current mailing address.

LATE REGISTRATION

If you or a family member have been discharged or separated from the Uniformed Services, Merchant Marine, or from employment outside the territorial limits of the United States, you may register after the registration deadline for an election until 5 p.m. on the Friday before that election. 

ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF BALLOTS

If you are an overseas voter, or are an absent uniformed services voter, you may request to receive your ballots by fax or e-mail.

Your request must include:
1. Your Name
2. Your date of birth
3. Your county of residence
4. One of the following: 

  • a return fax number, if the ballot is to be faxed
  • an APO/FPO or other deliverable overseas address, if the ballot is to be mailed 
  • an email address if the ballot is to be emailed

5. Your signature (faxed request only) 

  • If you want your ballot to be faxed, your request is valid only for the upcoming election or the one election you specify.

STATE WRITE-IN BALLOT

Overseas voters who cannot be reached to deliver an absentee ballot in time for the General Election may request a state write-in ballot not earlier than 180 days before an election. Your request must state that due to military or other contingencies that preclude normal mail delivery, you cannot vote an absentee ballot during the normal absentee period. State write-in ballots will be mailed between 90 and 180 days prior to the General Election.

FEDERAL WRITE-IN BALLOT

The Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot is a back-up ballot that may be used for Federal races only if all of these conditions apply:

1. You are located outside the United States, including APO and FPO addresses.
2. You have applied for a regular absentee ballot early enough so that we have received your request at least 30 days before the election. The FPCA may be used to request your regular Florida absentee ballot.
3. You have not received the requested regular Florida absentee ballot.

CASTING YOUR BALLOT

You may return your voted ballot by mail, courier or fax. You cannot return your ballot via email, because state law requires an original signature on the ballot certificate envelope. Voted ballots must be received by 7 p.m. Election Day.

LATE COUNTING OF OVERSEAS BALLOTS

If you are an overseas voter, your ballot will be counted if the ballot envelope is dated or postmarked no later than the day of the election and received up to 10 days after a General Election or Presidential Primary Election.

Ballots that are returned by fax are not included in the late counting of ballots. 

CONTACT



Office Hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Main Phone: (813) 744-5900 Toll Free: (888) 297-4362 Email: voter@votehillsborough.gov

Fred B. Karl County Center

601 E. Kennedy Blvd., 16th Floor
Tampa, FL 33602
Tel: (813) 272-5850
Fax: (813) 272-7043

Robert L. Gilder Elections Service Center

2514 North Falkenburg Rd.
Tampa, FL 33619
Tel: (813) 744-5900
Fax: (813) 744-5843

Northwest Regional Office

4575 Gunn Hwy.
Tampa, FL 33624
 
 

Southeast Regional Office

10020 South U.S. Hwy. 301
Riverview, FL 33578

Please note: Florida has a very broad public records law. Voter registration applications and other written communications to or from the Supervisor of Elections are public records and are available to the public and media upon request unless the information is subject to a specific statutory exemption. Email addresses are also public records. If you do not want your email address released in response to a public records request, please do not email us. Instead, contact us by mail or phone, or visit us in person. To request public records, visit this page.. For questions about public records, email publicrecords@votehillsborough.gov or call (813) 744-5900.