Only 60 days left until the General Election, and counting Published Sept. 3, 2008 By Maj. Jake Barry Altus AFB Installation Voting Assistance Officer ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Have you registered to vote and requested your absentee ballot? The Department of Defense has named Armed Forces Voters Week Aug. 31- Sept. 7. It marks the last week uniformed service members and their family members can send in a request for their absentee registration and get their voting materials in time to vote in the Nov. 4, general election. To request an absentee ballot, fill out a Voter Registration/Ballot Request Form, Federal Post Card Application, Standard Form 76 and send it to your local election office. For help filling out a request form, contact your voting officer or go to www.fvap.gov. This web site has state-specific instructions for 55 states and territories covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. There are detailed and easy to follow instructions for filling out a request form, along with information on where t o send it. This tool will guide you through completion of the form using only the specific information your state requires. In participating states and jurisdictions, you may be able to send the form to your local election office and receive your blank ballot via a secure server. Locally, call 481-1325 to pick up a FPCA or go on-line and register, it's easy. If you don't receive your absentee ballot in time to vote in the general election for your home state, all is not lost for the presidential election. The Military Postal Service Agency and Federal Voting Assistance Program recommend that military members, their dependents and United States citizens residing overseas use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot for the November election to ensure their vote is counted. The MPSA specify that citizens voting from states and territories with late primaries mail the FWAB from Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom locations by Oct. 7, and from all other overseas locations by Oct. 14, to ensure their ballot is received by local election offices in time. Hard copies of the FWAB are available at military installations from your Unit or Installation Voting Assistance Officer, the nearest Embassy or Consular office or many organizations of U.S. citizens overseas. An on-line version of the FWAB is available with easy to read instructions at www.fvap.gov. States and territories with late primaries include: Alaska, Arizona, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Virgin Islands, Vermont, Wisconsin, Washington, and Wyoming.