Military & Overseas Voters

Military and Overseas Voters who are residents of the state of Tennessee (Guidelines for Determining Residency), reside at or have previously resided at an address within Montgomery County, and will be outside of the county during Early Voting and on Election Day may apply to vote by mail.

(Not a TN resident? Visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program to learn more about requesting absentee ballots from your state.)

How Do I Apply To Vote By Mail?

You must submit a completed Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) Form 76 to the Montgomery County Election Commission. You may mail or fax the completed application; e-mailed applications will not be accepted.

Who Is Eligible To Use an FPCA?

You may apply for absentee ballots using an FPCA if you are:

A member of the Uniformed Services or Merchant Marine on active duty, or an eligible spouse or dependent;
A U.S. citizen residing outside of the U.S. temporarily; or
A U.S. citizen residing outside of the U.S. indefinitely.

Do I Need To Be Registered To Vote To Use an FPCA?

No, you do not need to be a registered voter to request ballots with an FPCA. An FPCA will temporarily register you strictly for the purpose of voting by mail.

If you will be physically present within Montgomery County during an election, you will not be eligible to vote by mail using an FPCA. In that case, you will need to Permanently Register at least thirty (30) days prior to Election Day.

When Should I Submit My Completed FPCA?

Generally, the Election Commission will accept your completed FPCA from January 1 of the year in which the election will take place through seven (7) days before the election.

However, if the election in question will be held less than ninety (90) days after January 1, the Election Commission will accept your completed FPCA as early as (90) days before the election and as late as seven (7) days before the election.

** Please keep in mind that voting by mail takes some time. The Election Commission must mail your ballot to you, you must complete and return your ballot by mail, and the Election Commission must receive your completed ballot on or before Election Day for your vote to count (an election-day postmark is not sufficient). Please plan the timing of your request accordingly.

Do I Need to Submit an FPCA For Every Election?

The Help America Vote Act requires that your FPCA be honored through two federal election cycles. In Tennessee, federal elections happen every two (2) years. After two federal election cycles are completed, your FPCA will expire. You will need to submit a new FPCA if you will be outside of the county during the following election.

So, for example, if you had submitted an FPCA in 2000, your FPCA would have requested absentee ballots for all of the remaining elections in 2000 as well as both of the elections in 2002. It would have then expired, and you would have needed to submit a new FPCA for the 2004 elections.

** If you would like to limit the number of elections for which you are requesting absentee ballots with a particular FPCA, you may do so in the Additional Comments box (#6) on the FPCA. For example, you may wish to write something like "2000 Elections Only," or "November 2000 Election Only." Remember that you may always submit a new FPCA to request ballots for additional elections.

What Should I Do If My Mailing Address Changes?

You are responsible for keeping your mailing address up-to-date with the Election office.

If your mailing address has changed since the time that you submitted your FPCA or will change between now and the next election, please submit a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) Form 76 with your updated mailing address as soon as possible.

Tips for Completing the FPCA

You must sign the application yourself. Powers of Attorney are not honored for election purposes.
Your Voting Residence Address (#3) is your most recent address within Montgomery County. You do not need to currently own or lease this place of residence. This information will be used to precinct you.
Your Current Address (#4a) is the address where you will be able to receive mail during the two months preceding the election. This address must be outside of Montgomery County. You do not need to list a Forwarding Address (#4b).
If you are applying for ballots for Primary elections, you must list a Political Party Preference (#5). This information will determine which party's ballots you will receive. If you do not list a party preference, you will be mailed ballots for general elections only.
Don’t worry about having a witness sign your FPCA; Tennessee law does not require this.
Call or e-mail the Election office after a reasonable amount of time to confirm that they have received your FPCA.