Military & Overseas Voting Program

Ryan Ronco, County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters
Placer County Elections Office
2956 Richardson Drive
PO Box 5278
Auburn, CA 95604
530-886-5650
E-mail: [email protected]

Election Specific Information

Click here for a list of important dates for the November 8, 2022, General Election.

Click here for the November 8, 2022, General Election Voter Information Guide for UOCAVA Voters

Program Details

Program History

Since 2002 the Placer County Elections Office has provided the Military and Overseas Voting Program to all eligible Uniformed and Overseas Citizen’s Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) voters. The purpose of this program is to simplify the voting process so that all eligible voters may receive, vote, and return their ballot without delay regardless of where they are currently stationed or reside.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify as a military or overseas voter you must be a United States citizen, 18 years of age or older, absent from Placer County and meet any one of the following qualifiers:
    • A member of the active or reserve components of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or Space Force; a Merchant Marine; a member of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps of the United States; or an individual on activated status for the National Guard or state militia.
    • A citizen of the United States living outside of the territorial limits of the United States or the District of Columbia.
    • The spouse or dependent of a member of the armed forces or any auxiliary branch thereof.
Program Benefits

    • Remain registered to vote regardless of where you currently reside, whether you still maintain your Placer County address of registration.
    • Receive your ballot 60 days prior to every election (compared to 29 days for local Vote-By-Mail voters)
    • Receive your ballot by mail, e-mail or fax and return your voted ballot by mail or fax.
Keeping Your Records Current

To receive your voting material in a timely manner for all future elections, be sure to keep your information up to date.
Reregister to vote to update your:
    • Name
    • Political Party Preference
    • Permanent Military and/or Overseas Address
    • Military Status and/or Overseas Status
Or contact our office to update your:
    • Contact Information (i.e. phone number, fax number, e-mail or mailing address, etc.)
    • Ballot Delivery Preference (i.e. mail, e-mail, fax)
      Please Note: You may also contact our office to cancel your military or overseas status.

Voting Options

Voter Correspondence and Ballot Delivery Preference


By selecting a ballot delivery preference, you decide how you will receive your voting packet and all future correspondences from our office. You may choose to receive your elections material by mail, e-mail, or fax transmission.
 
To select a ballot delivery preference, you can either reregister to vote using the Federal Post-Card Application or contact our office directly.
 
Please Note: All voting material will automatically be sent by mail unless an alternate ballot delivery preference was selected at the time of registration or has since been requested.

Voting Packet

Voting packets are issued according to the voter’s designated ballot delivery preference. Packets may vary depending on the method of delivery.
 
Voting Packets Include:
    • A precinct specific ballot (paper or PDF)
    • Oath of Voter (for returning ballot by fax)
    • Envelope Wrap Around Image (for electronic ballots only, choosing to return ballot by mail)
    • An Official Placer County Return Envelope (mail packet only)*
    • An Official Placer County Voter Information Guide (paper or link to online version)

*Please Note: Due to the nature of e-mail and fax transmissions, voters who wish to return their voted e-mailed or faxed ballots by mail are required to provide their own return envelope. Any standard sized envelope may be used; however, you must be able to affix the completed Envelope Wrap Around Image (provided in your Voting Packet) for your ballot to be accepted. Please consult the voting instructions provided in your Voting Packet for more information or contact our office at 530-886-5650 or toll free within California at 1-800-824-8683 or via e-mail at [email protected]

Returning Your Voted Ballot

All UOCAVA ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received within 7 days of the Election in order to be considered timely. All UOCAVA ballots submitted in person or via fax must be received by the Placer County Elections Office or any Placer County polling place prior to 8:00 PM on Election Day. Any ballots delivered in person after 8:00 PM on Election Day cannot be counted. Completed voting packets may only be returned by mail or by fax and must include:

Returning by Mail:


    • Voted Ballot
    • Completed official return envelope (from mailed voting packets only) or the completed Envelope Wrap Around Image (from e-mailed or faxed voting packets), affixed to a voter provided envelope.

Returning by Fax:


    • Voted Ballot
    • Completed Oath of Voter Statement*

*Please Note: In signing the statement, you acknowledge that by returning your voted ballot via fax transmission, and due to the nature of that return method, you have relinquished your right to a secret ballot. We request that you include the signed Oath of Voter Statement, and ballot in the same transmission.

If you plan to return your ballot by fax transmission but require a toll free fax number, or require after hours assistance you may contact the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) at: https://www.fvap.gov/guide/appendix/toll-free

To check the status of your returned ballot, visit Check Vote by Mail Ballot Status.

Alternate Voting Method:


  • If you are a military or overseas voter but have not received your voting packet, you may vote using a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). The FWAB is a placeholder ballot and is counted in the event you are unable to vote and return your official County ballot.

Additional Resources

If you have any questions regarding this process or have questions not addressed here, please contact our office directly at 530-886-5650 or via e-mail at [email protected] We are here to assist you. You may also contact the following:

  • The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) at www.fvap.gov. The FVAP’s website provides an overview of the FVAP as well as links to state government homepages and other sites with election information. The website is updated on a regular basis to provide the most current information and news for uniformed and overseas citizens. The website also contains information on all FVAP initiatives, e.g., Get-Out-the-Vote Campaign, the Ombudsman Service, Electronic Transmissions (faxing) System, and the State Legislative Initiative Programs. The website provides information and online forms such as the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA, SF-76) and the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB, SF-186) which can be viewed or downloaded on the website.
  • The Overseas Vote Foundation (OVF) at www.overseasvotefoundation.org. The OVF’s website features a complete election official directory for all fifty states and United States territories, an overseas voter registration/absentee (vote-by-mail) ballot request wizard (RAVA) and a voter help desk.
  • The Secretary of State (SOS) at www.sos.ca.gov. The SOS’s website provides an online voter registration form, information on upcoming elections, voting in California and ballot measures.