Military and Overseas Voters

Qualifications

An eligible citizen may register to vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voter Act (UOCAVA) if they are one of the following:

1. A member of the active or reserve components of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard; a Merchant Marine; a member of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps; a member of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps of the United States; or a member on activated status of the National Guard or state militia.
2. A spouse or dependent of a person described above.
3. A citizen of the United States living outside of the territorial limits* of the United States or the District of Columbia

*The Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) does not cover non-military U.S. citizens residing in these U.S. territories: American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, US Minor Outlying Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. U.S. citizens residing in the aforementioned U.S. territories should register to vote in the territory where they reside.  These U.S. citizens can vote for their Member of Congress but do not vote for the office of U.S. President. 

If a U.S. citizen in those territories has an official residence or domicile in the U.S., they may register as a UOCAVA voter in their state of residency. Please note that citizens of American Samoa are U.S. Nationals, not U.S. citizens. Please visit vote.gov/register and select your territory for more information.

For more information, visit the California Secretary of State's Frequently Asked Questions page or watch this video (captions not available on the State's video):

Register as a UOCAVA voter

If you qualify, register to vote on the Secretary of State's website or use the FPCA (Federal Post Card Application) (PDF) provided by the FVAP (Federal Voting Assistance Program)

Note to service members separating from active duty: You and your family will no longer be covered by UOCAVA. Please go to the California Secretary of State's website to re-register.

Did you miss the deadline to register to vote?

If you need to register or re-register to vote within 14 days of an election, contact the Yolo County Elections Office to use same-day registration, known in California as Conditional Voter Registration. Conditional Voter Registration is a safety net for Californians who miss the deadline to register to vote or update their registration before an election.