Bay Area voters casting Nov. 3 ballots from military bases, ships and foreign countries follow a separate set of rules under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). Here's what the Secretary of State and the Alameda County Registrar of Voters say.

Who counts as a military or overseas voter?

You have to be eligible to vote in California and absent from your county. You also have to be one of these:

  • a member of the active or reserve Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard
  • a Merchant Marine
  • a member of the Public Health Service or NOAA Commissioned Corps
  • a National Guard member on activated status
  • a spouse or dependent of any of the above
  • a U.S. citizen living outside the U.S. and D.C.

You can vote in federal and statewide races and state measures. You can also vote in local contests for the precinct where you last lived.

Big change: FVAP no longer faxes ballots for you

The federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) has stopped faxing military and overseas voters' election materials to county officials, the Secretary of State warns. "You can no longer send your voted ballot to FVAP." If you want to fax your ballot, you have to send it directly to your county elections official.

The deadlines

  • By mail: your ballot and signed Military or Overseas Voter Return Envelope must be postmarked on or before Election Day, Nov. 3, and reach your county no later than seven days after.
  • By fax: allowed only if you live outside the U.S. or were called to military service inside the U.S. on or after the vote-by-mail application deadline. The ballot must arrive by 8 p.m. on Election Day. You must also fax an "Oath of Voter" form that waives your right to a secret ballot.
  • By email: not allowed. California lets you receive a blank ballot by email but not return a voted one that way, Alameda County notes.

The state's recommended mail-by dates have passed: Sept. 29 for voters on a ship at sea, Oct. 4 for those outside the U.S. and Oct. 23 for stateside voters. A ballot postmarked by Nov. 3 still counts if it arrives within seven days.

Free express mail for military families

Military voters and their family members can get USPS Priority Mail Express Label 11-DOD for free express shipping of federal general election ballots. It's available at military post offices (APO/FPO) and at U.S. embassies and consulates.

Back home after the deadline?

If you returned to your county after the registration deadline, you can still register conditionally and vote provisionally at your county elections office, a polling place or a vote center, the Secretary of State says. More on that in our same-day registration explainer.

How to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.

More races and measures: our 2026 election hub.