Polling Place GuideNew Haven, CT
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All topics · Topic 11 of 13 · Companion topic

Where can military and overseas voters get help?

Military and Overseas Voter Assistance

Service members, their families and citizens living abroad vote mostly by absentee ballot under a federal law called UOCAVA. At a polling place, the most useful thing workers can do is point people to the right office.

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A help desk where a poll worker hands a voter an information card showing a small globe and an envelope. A simple help desk with a sign that reads Questions. A poll worker passes a small card across the desk to a voter. The card shows an outline of a globe and an envelope with the words Absentee voting, town clerk. No uniforms, flags or patriotic imagery appear in the scene.
Describe this illustration

A simple help desk with a sign that reads Questions. A poll worker passes a small card across the desk to a voter. The card shows an outline of a globe and an envelope with the words Absentee voting, town clerk. No uniforms, flags or patriotic imagery appear in the scene.

Things you may notice

Things you may notice when someone asks about absentee voting.

  1. Poll workers respond to questions about military or overseas voting.

    For example: A voter asks how their deployed spouse can vote and gets a helpful response rather than 'I don't know.'

    Share an observation

    The law behind this: UOCAVA · Military and overseas voters (Connecticut)

  2. Workers direct voters to the appropriate election official for absentee-ballot questions.

    For example: The worker explains that the town clerk handles absentee ballots and gives the clerk's contact information.

    Share an observation

    The law behind this: UOCAVA · Military and overseas voters (Connecticut)

  3. Voters can obtain information about where to find applicable procedures.

    For example: The worker mentions the Federal Voting Assistance Program website or the Secretary of the State's page for military and overseas voters.

    Share an observation

    The law behind this: UOCAVA · Federal Voting Assistance Program

Notice something different? Write down what you personally saw or heard, including the time and location. You can ask an election official for help.

Why it matters

A family member asking on behalf of a deployed relative, or a student home from abroad, may show up at the polls with questions. Being sent to the right place quickly matters more than the answer itself.

What one visit cannot tell you

  • Whether a specific absentee ballot was sent or counted on time. Deadlines and transmission are handled by the town clerk and the state.
  • Whether a person qualifies under UOCAVA. That depends on their status, which you cannot see.
In Connecticut
What the law actually says

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. §§ 20301–20311) lets uniformed service members, their eligible family members and citizens living outside the United States register and vote absentee in federal elections. States must send requested ballots at least 45 days before a federal election and must accept the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot as a backup.

Related legal authorities
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