Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and conforming state legislation covers active duty members of the United States armed forces, the merchant marines, spouses and dependents of all, and United States citizens residing overseas. UOCAVA states that qualified servicemembers and overseas citizens can use the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to register to vote and request a Vote-by-Mail ballot at the same time.
Residency: UOCAVA voters may not arbitrarily choose which state to declare as their legal voting residence without meeting the state's residency requirements.
How do I register to vote?
To register to vote in Lee County, Florida, you must claim residency in Lee County. If you have never established residency, you are not eligible to register to vote in Lee County. You may register to vote in the last location you claimed residency, or where you were last registered to vote. A UOCAVA citizen who has established residency in Lee County is eligible to register to vote in Lee County.
Military and overseas citizens may register to vote using an FPCA (recommended), Online Voter Registration (OVR), or a Florida Voter Registration Application (FVRA).
- Visit fvap.gov to complete the FPCA using the online assistant
- Print and return the FPCA
- For more information on OVR and the FVRA, click here
Important! When registering to vote for the first time in the state of Florida, an original signature is required. First-time registration applications must be mailed or hand-delivered to the Supervisor of Elections office.
Late Registration for Military
If you or an immediate family member have been discharged from the uniformed services or Merchant Marine after the Registration Deadline for an election has passed, you may register to vote in person at the Supervisor of Elections office until 5:00 pm on the Friday before an election. Per Florida Statute 97.0555, you must produce documentation showing eligibility for late registration.