Federal Services Ballots

As a federal services voter, you are in a special category of voters. A federal law called the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) guarantees special status for military personnel, serving either domestically or abroad, and civilian United States citizens living abroad. While you are not required to be registered to vote in the county where you are applying, you must meet the constitutional qualifications of a Kansas elector. Constitutional qualifications require that you be 18 years old; be a United States citizen; and be a resident of Kansas.

Federal services voting instructions:

1. Apply for a ballot from your county election office in the county you consider to be your residence. If you file your application before the primary, you will automatically receive a ballot for the general election that year. Friday, July 30 is the last day to apply for an absentee ballot.
2. As a military or civilian federal services voter, you may fax your application to your county election officer.
3. Federal services ballots must be mailed to you by the 45th day before the election.
4. Your federal services ballot must be received in the county election office before the close of polls on Election Day in order to be counted and included in the official election results.

The Kansas Secretary of State's office has partnered with the Kansas Adjutant General's office in an initiative called OPERATION: VOTE. This new initiative will help ensure that every Kansas citizen stationed overseas has access to the ballot box. The United States Department of Defense, through the Federal Voting Assistance Program, also provides information to persons wanting to obtain an absentee ballot.