Boone County News Release

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Boone County to Accept Electronic Absentee Military Voting Applications

May 28, 2010

Boone County is now accepting absentee applications electronically from voters who are covered under the Military and Overseas Voting Empowerment Act (MOVE). Applications can be submitted at www.showmeboone.com/clerk.

Email delivery of ballots will begin with the August 3, 2010 primary election. Although the federal version of MOVE is not effective until the November election, Missouri law was modified effective May 27, 2010 to immediately extend the rights to Missouri voters. Boone County is a pilot jurisdiction for the development of a Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) electronic ballot marking tool that will be available for the November 2010 election.

Those who submit online applications must select the correct reason for voting absentee - military service, federal service, absence from the county outside the United States, and select a method of ballot delivery - email, fax, regular mail. Applications may still be submitted by regular mail. Boone County Clerk Wendy Noren encourages friends and family of overseas voters to pass along the information about the new online options.

In the last two elections cycles, Boone County notified all voters, who provided an email address, of their ballot status and provided an electronic version of the FWAB (Federal write-in ballot). Noren said that the email updates are far more effective than requiring voters to continually go to a Web site to check their ballot status. "If you apply for an absentee ballot in Boone County we will email you notification when the application is received, when it is accepted, when the ballot is sent, when the ballot is received and any reason why your ballot cannot be counted," she said. "We will continue to provide voters with email status updates."

FAQs for Overseas Citizens, Military Personnel, Their Spouses, and Dependents

What is MOVE?

MOVE is short for the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act that was adopted by Congress in 2009 to help address the special needs of American citizens who are out of the country in the military, federal service or other reasons. Nationwide In 2008, thousands of US citizens were unable to vote because their ballot never got to them or back to the election office by the legal deadline.

MOVE Will Allow

• Military and overseas voters to choose how they want their ballot delivered - by email, fax or regular mail. This service includes the spouse and eligible dependents of military personnel
• Military and overseas voters will have access to information regarding ballot status to absentee application status - received, approved, sent, ballot received
• Military and overseas voters will have access to electronic application process to submit absentee application (FPCA)
• The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) will be required to develop a pilot project for developing a ballot marking tool that allows voters to access their ballot, make their choices and print a ballot for mailing to their local election official.
• MOVE voters will have access to electronic versions of the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB)
• Ballots must now be available 1 week earlier than previous federal requirements

MOVE will now require that you submit a new application annually. The former requirement allowing a two year application period caused many ballots to be sent to an outdated address

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