Form SF 186 SF 186 Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB)

Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB)

For absent Uniformed Service members, their families, and citizens residing outside the U.S.

For any questions about this form, consult the
Voting Assistance Guide available in hard copy or
on FVAP.gov or your Voting Assistance Officer.

Instructions for Voter’s Declaration/Affirmation

Instructions for Official Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot

The gray numbers and instructions below correspond to the gray numbered
boxes on the face of the form.

To vote, write in either a candidate’s name or a political party for each
office. Your State may allow you to vote in State and local elections in the
Addendum section of this ballot. If you submit the FWAB and later receive
your State ballot you should make every reasonable effort to inform your
local election office and return your State ballot.

In most States, you must have registered and requested an
absentee ballot from your voting jurisdiction to use this form. If you
have not done this, you cannot use this form unless your State
1
allows voter registration via the FWAB. If your State does not allow
you to register to vote using this form and you have not already
submitted a Federal Post Card Application or registered/requested
an absentee ballot by other means, your FWAB will not be counted.

2

The classification you choose may determine in which election(s)
you will be allowed to vote. Choose the one that best represents
your current situation.

The information you enter for your name should match the
information you used to register to vote. The local election official
3
who receives this form will match this to your voter registration
information.
While most States allow you to enter either your Driver’s License
number or the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number, some
will invalidate this form without your full SSN. Check your State’s
pages in the Voting Assistance Guide on FVAP.gov to see if your
4
State requires the full SSN.

Also, many States ask that you provide your race or ethnic group in
order to demonstrate that they are complying with the Voting Rights
Act and the National Voter Registration Act.
If there are questions about your form, local election officials
will use this information to contact you. An email address is the
simplest and fastest way for them to do so. Your voting materials
5
will be sent to the email address(es) that you provide here if you
request it and your State allows it. Include an alternate phone
number in Box 9 if necessary.
6

If you want to vote in primary elections, most States require you to
specify a political party.

This determines the jurisdiction where you vote. For military voters
the voting address is your legal U.S. residence. For overseas
citizens this is usually the U.S. address where you last lived. You
do not need to have any current physical ties to this address. Do
7
not use a post office box number. If the area has no street names,
enter the route number and box number. The address you enter
here must match the address you used when you requested an
absentee ballot.
8

Enter the address where you want voting materials to be sent.
Voting materials will be sent to this address unless you enter a
forwarding address in Box 9.

Affirmation Read this carefully. It is what you are agreeing to under oath
and penalty of perjury by filling out and sending in this form. Some
States require that your form be witnessed. Check your State’s
pages in the Voting Assistance Guide for your State’s requirements.

To return by mail, fold the ballot. Put it in a blank envelope, seal the
envelope, and mark it “Security Envelope.” This security envelope keeps
your vote private.
Put the security envelope and the Declaration / Affirmation form into a
larger envelope together. Seal the larger envelope.
To send your ballot:
• For non-U.S. mailing, put the correct amount of local postage in the
top right corner on the front of the large envelope.
• In the upper left corner, enter your current complete military or
overseas mailing address and the election date.
• Under “To,” enter the name and mailing address of the local election
official to whom you are sending the packet. It must be the same
local election office where you sent your request for an absentee
ballot.

Agency Disclosure Statement

The public reporting burden for this collection of information is
estimated to average 15 minutes per response, including the time for
reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed,
and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send
comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of
this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the
burden, to the Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters
Services, Executive Services Directorate, Information Management
Division, 4800 Mark Center Drive, East Tower, Suite 02G09,
Alexandria, VA 22350-3100. [OMB CONTROL #]. Respondents
should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no
person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a
collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB
control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR COMPLETED
FORM TO THE ADDRESS ABOVE.

Privacy Act Statement

Authority: The authority to collect your personal information on this
form comes from 42 USC 1973ff, “Uniformed and Overseas Citizens
Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).”
Principal Purpose: This form serves as a write-in absentee ballot for
elections for Federal office or other elections provided by State law or
special provisions for all persons covered by UOCAVA.
Routine Use(s): There is no retention of this information by the
Federal government. Completed forms are sent by you to an
appropriate State election official.
Disclosure: Your disclosure of personal information is voluntary.
However, failure to provide the requested information may result
in the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot not being recognized and
therefore not counted.

Standard Form 186 (Rev. 06-2013)

Enter anything here that would help ensure your ballot is accepted.
Indicate your preferred method for receiving future ballots: email,
online download, or fax if requested. You can always get your
9
absentee ballot by mail. Check your State’s pages in the Voting
Assistance Guide on FVAP.gov for anything your State may
specifically require here.

Some States allow you to send your Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot
electronically after printing, signing and scanning.

Voter’s Declaration/Affirmation
Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB)

For any questions about this form, consult the
Voting Assistance Guide available in hard copy
or on FVAP.gov or your Voting Assistance
Officer.
Please print in black ink.

For absent Uniformed Service members, their families, and citizens residing outside the U.S.

Qualification &
Voter Registration

Many States require that you
be registered and request an
absentee ballot before using this
form.

Classification
Make only 1 selection.

Have you already registered and requested an absentee ballot?
Yes
No
1

2

If you answer No, you can do this via the Federal Post Card Application, or in a few States, by marking the box below. Check your
State’s pages in the Voting Assistance Guide on FVAP.gov to see if your State allows registration via this form.

I also want to register to vote and/or request an absentee ballot for all elections in which I am eligible to vote.

I am a member of the Uniformed Services or Merchant Marine on active duty OR

I am an activated National Guard member on State orders.

I am a U.S. citizen residing outside the United States, and I intend to return.

I am a U.S. citizen residing outside the United States, and my return is not certain.

I am a U.S. citizen and have never resided in the United States.

I am an eligible spouse or dependent.

Last name

Legal name

3

First name

Suffix

Middle name

Previous name (if applicable)
State Driver’s License or I.D.

Identification
Some States require your full
SSN. Check your State’s pages
in the Voting Assistance Guide
on FVAP.gov.

Contact information
Include international prefixes.
No DSN numbers.

4

/
M

5

OR Social Security Number

Birth date

Telephone

Fax

–

–

Sex

/
D

M

D

Y

Y

Y

6

Voting residence
address
Usually your last U.S. residence
or your legal U.S. residence.
See instructions.

This is your current
mailing address and
should be different from
above. If required, place
a forwarding address in
Box 9.

8

Additional
requirements
for your State  
Such as: future ballot receipt
preference, mail forwarding
address, additional phone,
or other State required
information. See your State’s
pages in the Voting Assistance
Guide on FVAP.gov.

9

See Instructions

Email

Your State may require you to specify a political party to vote in primary elections:

Apt. #

City/Town/Village
County

Where to send my
voting materials

Race

Street Address (not P.O. Box)
7

M
F

Y

Alternate Email

Political party

State

–

Zip Code

Affirmation (REQUIRED): I swear or affirm, under penalty of perjury, that:
• The information on this form is true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge.
I understand that a material misstatement of fact in completion of this document may constitute
grounds for conviction of perjury.
• I am a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years of age (or will be by the day of the election), eligible to vote in the
requested jurisdiction, and
• I am not disqualified to vote due to having been convicted of a felony or other disqualifying offense,
nor have I been adjudicated mentally incompetent; or if so, my voting rights have been reinstated; and
• I am not registering, requesting a ballot, or voting in any other jurisdiction in the United States, except
the jurisdiction cited in this voting form.
• In voting, I have marked and sealed this ballot in private and have not allowed any person to observe
the marking of this ballot, except those authorized to assist voters under State and Federal law.
This information is for official use only. Any unauthorized release may be punishable by law.

Signature

X

Today’s date

You must sign and send in.
/
M

M

/
D

D

Y

Y

Y

Witness signature / date if required by your State.
Signature

Y

Date
Standard Form 186 (Rev. 06-2013) , OMB No. XXXX-XXXX

Official Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot

Vote by writing the name and/or party affiliation of the candidate for whom you wish to vote. Some States allow the
Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot to be used by military and overseas voters in elections other than general elections or
for offices other than Federal offices. Consult the Voting Assistance Guide to determine your State’s policy.
President/Vice President:
U.S. Senator*:
U.S. Representative/Delegate**/Resident Commissioner**:
* Legal residents of the District of Columbia may vote only for President/Vice President and Delegate.
** Legal residents of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands may vote only for Delegate
or Resident Commissioner to the Congress.

Addendum

If you are eligible to use this ballot to vote for offices other than those listed above or for ballot initiatives, please indicate
in the spaces provided below, the office for which you wish to vote (for example: Governor, Attorney General, Mayor,
State Senator, etc.). You may also indicate the ballot intiative and your vote for the initiative.

Office / Ballot Initiative

Detach here, fold and insert into security envelope

Candidate Name, Party Affiliation,
or Initiative Vote

(Use reverse side for additional space)

OFFICIAL FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSENTEE BALLOT

SECURITY ENVELOPE

(PUT ONLY THE VOTED BALLOT INSIDE THIS ENVELOPE)
Standard Form 186 (Rev 06-2013)

Official Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (continuation)
Office / Ballot Initiative

Standard Form 186 (Rev 06-2013) (Back)

Security Envelope Only - DO NOT WRITE ON THIS ENVELOPE

Candidate Name, Party Affiliation,
or Initiative Vote

If you need more space enclose an additional sheet of paper.

From
(Your name and current complete military or overseas
mailing address)

U.S. Postage Paid
39 USC 3406

PAR AVION

International airmail postage is required if not mailed in the
U.S. Postal Service, APO/FPO system, or diplomatic pouch.

Ballot Enclosed for __________ Election.
(MM/YY)

OFFICIAL ABSENTEE BALLOTING MATERIAL – FIRST CLASS MAIL
NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IN THE U.S. MAIL – DMM 703.8.0

To
(Your local election office in the United States. Check your State’s pages in the
Voting Assistance Guide on FVAP.gov for contact information.)

INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTER
Before you seal this envelope, check that you have done the following:
1) Did you sign your form?
2) Did you put the form into this mailing envelope?
3) Did you put your ballot inside a security envelope?
4) Did you put the security envelope into this mailing envelope?

INSTRUCTIONS TO ELECTION OFFICIALS

This is an official Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) authorized by 42 USC 1973 ff-2.
1. Upon receipt of this ballot, examine the voter’s declaration form. If it appears the voter is eligible to vote in your jurisdiction and has applied in a timely fashion
for a regular absentee ballot, or this requirement has been waived by appropriate authority, this ballot is valid unless you receive the voter’s regular absentee
ballot in time for it to be counted. This ballot should be handled in the same manner as required by State law for other absentee ballots. If this ballot is to be
counted, deposit the voted ballot in the ballot box without examining the voter’s choice.
2. The oath on this ballot is self-executing and need not be notarized (prohibited by Federal law) or witnessed (unless required by State law).
3. Unless provided by law, or special provisions have been made, this ballot should not be counted if:

a. It was submitted by a member of the Uniformed Services (or eligible dependent) not absent from his or her voting jurisdiction; or

b. It was submitted from within the United States (an APO/FPO address is considered outside the U.S.) by a citizen who is neither a Uniformed Services

member, member of the Merchant Marine, or a dependent of a Uniformed Services or Merchant Marine member; or

c. This voter’s application for a regular absentee ballot was received by you less than 30 days prior to the election, or later than required by State law for

receipt of application, whichever is later; or

d. You received this voter’s completed regular absentee ballot by the State deadline for receipt of absentee ballots; or

e. This ballot was not received by the State deadline for receipt of voted absentee ballots.
Standard Form 186 (Rev 06-2013)