Federal Voting Assistance Program

  • Published
  • By Michael Primo
  • Malmstrom Airman and Family Readiness Center

The Department of Defense continues to increase its emphasis on the Federal Voting Assistance Program, or FVAP. As Congress and the courts have repeatedly affirmed, voting is a citizen's most fundamental right, and recognize that members of the military, their families and U.S. citizens living abroad face unique challenges to participating in U.S. elections. The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act was amended by the 2009 Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act, or MOVE Act which established new voter registration and absentee ballot procedures.

Since adoption of the MOVE Act, the Air Force has developed an Installation Voting Assistance Office. Historically, the IVAO team's responsibilities have been performed by active-duty personnel as an additional duty. Recently, the Air Force decided to move the IVAO position and responsibilities to the Airman and Family Readiness Center to ensure continuity of the program.

The Malmstrom IVAO team is comprised of a primary and alternate installation voting officer as well as four voting assistance officers to inform communities about the voting process and provide voter materials to eligible voters, including Department of the Air Force civilian personnel who request voter information and guidance. This includes material on the voting process, requesting absentee ballots and mailing the completed ballots.

Currently, there are four VAOs whom share responsibilities throughout the installation. The following are the current VAOs and their areas of responsibility:

Tracie Faulk: 819th REDHORSE Squadron, 219th RHS, 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron, 341st Medical Group, 341st Medical Support Squadron and 341st Medical Operations Squadron

 

Dawn Beal: 40th Helicopter Squadron, 741st Maintenance Squadron, 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron, 341st Munitions Squadron, 341st Contracting Squadron, 341st Communications Squadron and 561st Network Operations Squadron (Detachment 4)

 

Dave Burger: 341st Missile Security Forces Squadron, 741st MSFS, 841st MSFS, 341st Security Forces Squadron and 341st Security Support Squadron

 

Ashley Smith: 341st Civil Engineer Squadron, 341st Operations Support Squadron, 10th Missile Squadron, 12th MS, 490th MS, 341st Force Support Squadron and 341st Missile Wing staff


For help with any voting needs, contact the VAO that corresponds to your unit. Additionally, you can reach out to either Michael Primo (primary IVAO) or Shawn Belk (alternate IVAO). The Installation Voting Assistance Office is located in the Airman and Family Readiness Center located in Building 800 or by phone at 731-2786. You can also e-mail the IVAO at
341mw.vote@us.af.mil.