Military/Overseas Voters

Voter Info for Military / Overseas Voters

The following is detailed information on who qualifies as a military or overseas voter under Indiana law. If you need more information, please contact us at Elkhartcoabsentee@elkhartcounty.com

Please see the 2024 Indiana Military & Overseas Voter's Guide for detailed information.

Registration Deadlines for military and overseas voters:

Thursday, October 24, 2024, at 11:59 PM EST is the deadline for a county to receive a voter registration application from a military or overseas voter who wishes to vote in the election on November 5, 2024.

Who is a military voter?

• A member of the armed services or a merchant marine absent from residence due to active service within the U.S. or "overseas" (includes Canada);
• An Indiana National Guard member deployed outside of Indiana; or
• A spouse or dependent of these service members.

I.C. 3-5-2-1.5

Who is an overseas voter?

• An absent uniform services voter who is outside of the U.S. on Election Day;
• A family member of a service member who is outside of the U.S. on Election Day (spouse or dependent);
• A civilian living outside of the U.S., either temporarily or indefinitely, but otherwise eligible to vote in Indiana.

I.C. 3-5-2-34.5

Registration Deadline for RECENTLY DISCHARGED or TRANSFERRED military voters:

Certain recently discharged or transferred military voters can register (and vote absentee in the clerk's office) through noon on Election Day.

See form ABS-13 for details. Not every military voter qualifies.

I.C. 3-7-36-14

Registration and absentee ballot application for military and overseas voters:

FPCA Standard Form 76 is a combined registration and absentee ballot application. This form and instructions are available at the Federal Voting Assistance Program website: www.fvap.gov.

Absentee voting information and deadlines for military and overseas voters:

Thursday, October 24, 2024, at 11:59 PM EST is the deadline for a county to receive a voter registration application from a military or overseas voter who wishes to vote in the election on November 5, 2024.

If voting by mail:

1. The absentee ballot envelope is postmarked not later than the date of the election; and
2. The absentee ballot is received not later than noon, local prevailing time, on the deadline for counting provisional ballots by November 15, 2024 (by noon, 10 days after the November 5, 2024, General Election).

Military or overseas voters requesting to vote by e-mail or fax may apply up to noon (EST) on November 4, for the General Election.

If voting by e-mail or fax, the ballot must be returned BY E-MAIL OR FAX not later than 6:00 PM, local prevailing time, on Election Day (May 2, 2023, for the Primary Election; November 5, 2023, for the General Election).

Military or overseas voters casting their ballot by e-mail or fax must sign an affidavit stating that they understand their ballot cannot be a secret ballot. When we receive your absentee ballot application, we will send the specific affidavit to you with your ballot. The Election Board has a bi-partisan team that must remake the ballot into an official ballot to be tabulated.