OVF Primer for the PrimariesOverseas Vote Foundation
http://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/answers the most burning questions posed by overseas voters regarding the upcoming primary elections in the United States, several of which will already be held in January 2008.
What are primary elections?A primary election is a nominating election prior to the general election in which voters of each party select the candidates who will run on their respective party's ticket.
The presidential preference primaries occur once every four years for voters to determine their party’s preference for a presidential candidate.
U.S. Congressional nominees (U.S. House of Representatives and Senate) are decided in state primary elections.
Can a U.S. citizen living outside the country vote in primary elections?Yes. All voters eligible to vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) can vote in federal primaries. You have the right to vote in any primary, general, special, and runoff election held solely or in part for the purpose of selecting, nominating or electing any candidate for office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the U.S. Senate, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Delegates from the District of Columbia, Guam, Virgin Islands, and American Samoa, and Resident Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
State and local primaries for electoral positions other than federal offices usually only apply to you if you are temporarily overseas and continuing to pay state taxes. In short, if you are voting for someone who will sit in Washington, D.C. and represent your state/country, that is the federal level and you can vote in those elections without hesitation.
Do all states hold presidential primary elections?Not all states hold presidential primaries. Some hold caucuses. Presidential primaries and caucuses differ from state to state.
What is a state presidential caucus?A state presidential caucus is where party members attend a meeting to nominate a candidate. Any or all candidates can “run� in a caucus state, such as Iowa, and the winner is assigned all the delegates to the convention. A caucus traditionally requires physical presence.
If I want to vote in the primaries, do I need to indicate my party affiliation when I register to vote and request my ballot?Yes, most states request that you indicate your party affiliation in order to vote in primary elections. There are some exceptions. When you register to vote using OVF’s online voter services, you will be automatically informed of your state requirements.
Not all states hold primary elections by party, but most states that do will ask that you indicate your party affiliation on your registration/ballot request form. For example: Democrat, Republican, American Independent, Green, Libertarian, Natural Law or Peace and Freedom, etc.
If you have not chosen a party or do not wish to declare your party, indicate that with an appropriate note such as "decline to state," or "none, or "nonpartisan", or "undeclared." The OVF system will tell you which note to add in accordance with your state requirements.
Most Secretary of State websites provide further information about which parties are allowing non-affiliated voters to participate in their primary election.
Please note: You do not need to declare your party affiliation if you only plan to vote in the general election on November 4, 2008.
May I vote in a primary if I am registered as an Independent, Green, Libertarian, or other party?In many states, Greens, Libertarians and other parties are conducting primaries to nominate their candidates in 2008. If this is the case in your home state, then you can vote in your party’s primary. The Secretary of State and Board of Elections websites should have the most up-to-date information regarding which parties are holding primaries in your state. Secretary of State and/or Board of Elections office contact information is available in the OVF State-specific Voter Information Directory.
Some state's party primaries allow participation from registered independents, or members of other parties. You may wish to contact your election official to find out whether your party is conducting a primary or, if not, whether you can vote in another party's primary. Election official contact data is available in the OVF Election Official Directory.
How can I find out if my state is holding a primary election?Consult the
OVF State-specific Voter Information Directory to see if your state is holding a primary election for federal offices and to confirm the deadlines for registration and ballot request.
Where do I find a chart with deadlines for the 2008 federal elections?Look up your state or territory in the
OVF State-specific Voter Information Directory and find your state’s easy-to-read chart of all upcoming 2008 federal elections and associated registration deadlines.
As a uniformed service member or U.S. citizen living overseas, how can I register to vote and request an absentee ballot?Go to the Overseas Vote Foundation website:
https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org. The OVF program prompts you for the information necessary to register to vote in accordance with your state’s unique state regulations. The automated system then generates an official form in PDF format and provides you with the correct county election office address for mailing.
The OVF voter registration program generates the official, multi-function form specifically designed for overseas and military voters. This same form is used to: 1) register to vote; 2) request your ballot against your active registration; 3) and as a change of address update.
OVF suggests you file the form every election year to confirm your mailing address and ballot request. With OVF’s voter services, it takes just minutes and if you want to vote, confirming your mailing address is the most important thing you can do.
Where can I find candidate information for the primaries?Check the OVF site for
links to nonpartisan candidate information sites.
Where do I find more information about voting from overseas?For more information about voting from overseas, check the
OVF Voter Help Desk instant response system. If you can’t find the answer to a question there, just submit your question – an action that is possible from every Voter Help Desk page.
How can I help OVF get out the vote overseas?It’s easy to get involved. Please see the OVF
Get Involved page for several options.
