Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP)

What Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) does

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) is a U.S. Department of Defense program that assists military service members, their eligible family members, and U.S. citizens residing overseas in exercising their absentee voting rights under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). Established in 1986, FVAP operates from Alexandria, Virginia, with a staff of 12 and provides free, nonpartisan voting assistance services globally. Its core technology platform, fvap.gov, offers web-based tools including the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) Online Assistant for voter registration and ballot requests, the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) Online Assistant as an emergency backup ballot, and a comprehensive Voting Assistance Guide covering all 55 U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia.

FVAP's product suite extends beyond digital forms to include an IVA Office Locator, Election Office Search, Voter Alerts email subscription, interactive election calendar tools, an XML-API for developers, VAO training programs, outreach materials, and postage-paid return envelopes. Distribution is achieved through a hybrid model combining self-service digital tools on fvap.gov with physical touchpoints including Installation Voter Assistance offices at military installations worldwide, U.S. embassies and consulates, the military postal system (APO/FPO/DPO), and a network of trained Voting Assistance Officers embedded across all military service branches and recruiter stations.

As a federal government program, FVAP does not generate commercial revenue. It is funded through Department of Defense appropriations and provides all services at no cost to users. Its strategic position is anchored in statutory authority, interagency partnerships with the U.S. Department of State, the Election Assistance Commission, USPS, and the Military Postal Service Agency, and a global distribution infrastructure that is structurally unavailable to private-sector alternatives.

Name

Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP)

Legal name

Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP)

Website

https://fvap.gov

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FVAP is a U.S. Department of Defense program that provides free absentee voting assistance to active duty military, their families, and overseas U.S. citizens under UOCAVA, offering web-based federal forms, state-specific voting guides, and global in-person support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FVAP provides free absentee voting assistance to UOCAVA citizens (Uniformed Services members, their eligible family members, and overseas U.S. citizens) through standardized federal forms (FPCA for voter registration and ballot requests; FWAB as an emergency backup ballot), a comprehensive Voting Assistance Guide covering all 55 U.S. states, territories, and DC, and a global network of Voting Assistance Officers at military installations and U.S. embassies/consulates. The program also supports state and local election officials with UOCAVA compliance guidance, training, and grant programs.

Product overview

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) operates FVAP.gov as a comprehensive government information portal providing voting assistance tools and resources for Service members, their families, and overseas citizens. The core offerings include the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) for voter registration and ballot requests, the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) as an emergency backup ballot, and the Voting Assistance Guide providing state-specific voting instructions. Supporting services include IVA Office locator, election office search, voter alerts subscription, election calendar tools, VAO training programs, outreach materials, and mailing tools. These products work together to facilitate absentee voting under UOCAVA (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) for U.S. citizens abroad.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) The Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) allows UOCAVA citizens to register to vote and request an absentee ballot simultaneously. Available as an online assistant tool and fillable PDF.
• Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) The Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) serves as an emergency backup ballot for UOCAVA citizens who do not receive an absentee ballot from their state in time to participate in the election.
• Voting Assistance Guide A comprehensive reference guide providing state-specific rules, processes, election dates and deadlines to assist military and overseas voters in successfully registering to vote and returning a ballot, covering all 55 states, territories and the District of Columbia.
• IVA Office Locator A tool to locate Installation Voter Assistance (IVA) Offices and contact information for Voting Assistance Officers near military installations worldwide.
• Election Office Search Online tool to find local election offices and contact information by state for voters and election officials.
• Voter Alerts Email subscription service providing voter alerts about election dates, important deadlines, changes to state laws, and other absentee voting information.
• Election Calendar Alerts Interactive tool allowing users to add state-specific absentee voting deadlines and election dates to their calendar (Google Calendar compatible).
• VAO Training Program Training materials including online training modules, in-person workshops (conducted during even-numbered years), and video tutorials for voting assistance.
• Outreach Materials Outreach materials including communications toolkit, infographics, fact sheets, and informational videos for voters and election officials.
• Mailing Tools and Envelopes Postage-paid return envelopes (US and European sizes), security envelopes, and email/fax cover sheets to assist voters in returning election materials.
• Grant Programs for Election Officials State-specific guidance and grant programs (EASE 1 and EASE 2) for election officials to research and improve services provided to military and overseas voters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ballots must be sent at least 45 days before federal elections
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• State and Local Governments (Grant Program)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011FVAP offered research grants in 2011 and 2013 to states and localities to research improving services for military and overseas voters. Grant programs included EASE 1 and EASE 2 programs.
• U.S. Department of StatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFVAP works with the State Department to coordinate voting assistance at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. The State Department provides facilities where overseas voters can receive assistance, drop off ballots for diplomatic pouch return, and access FVAP materials.
• U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFVAP collaborates with the EAC on voter registration forms and shared resources. The EAC maintains the National Mail Voter Registration Form (NVRF) which FVAP references for voters not covered by UOCAVA.
• U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA)coreTechnology or IntegrationFVAP coordinates with USPS and MPSA to provide postage-paid return envelopes for ballots using APO/FPO addresses and to track international mail disruptions that may affect ballot delivery.
• State and Local Election OfficescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFVAP supports approximately 55 state and local election jurisdictions by providing UOCAVA compliance guidance, training, grant programs, and standardized forms to facilitate absentee voting for military and overseas voters.
• U.S. Military Services (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEach military service maintains Service Voting Action Officers (SVAOs) who serve as program managers for voting assistance. Services appoint Installation Voting Assistance Officers and support VAO training and compliance.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Vote.org: Non-partisan voter assistance platform providing digital voter registration, absentee ballot requests, and election reminders. Comparable in offering self-serve digital tools similar to FVAP's online FPCA/FWAB assistants, but focused on the broader U.S. voter population.
• Democracy Works (TurboVote): Non-partisan civic technology non-profit operating TurboVote for voter registration and ballot tracking. Comparable as a technology-driven voter assistance platform with similar user experience patterns to FVAP's digital tools.

Direct peers

• Overseas Vote Foundation: Non-profit organization dedicated to assisting overseas U.S. citizens with voter registration and absentee ballot access. Directly comparable to FVAP's overseas citizen voter assistance mission and listed as a resource link on FVAP.gov.
• U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC): Federal agency that administers election administration programs, including the National Mail Voter Registration Form (NVRF). FVAP explicitly collaborates with EAC on voter registration forms and shared resources, making it the closest federal-government peer in scope and function.
• U.S. Vote Foundation: Non-profit focused on overseas and military voter assistance, providing voter registration tools and ballot tracking. Operates a closely parallel mission to FVAP's overseas citizen voter segment with overlapping tools and resources.

Others

• National Association of State Election Directors (NASED): Membership organization of state election directors that coordinates election administration across U.S. jurisdictions. Comparable as the convener of state-level election officials that FVAP supports and coordinates with for UOCAVA implementation.
• Federal Election Commission (FEC): Independent federal agency regulating campaign finance. Adjacent to FVAP in the federal election ecosystem but focused on campaign finance disclosure rather than voter assistance, providing regulatory infrastructure context relevant to FVAP's operations.

Broad incumbents

• Rock the Vote: Long-standing civic engagement organization with broader scope covering voter registration and civic participation across all demographics. Overlaps with FVAP's voter outreach mission but operates as a non-governmental nonprofit rather than a federal program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FVAP
• Facebookfacebook.com/DoDFVAP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/federal-voting-assistance-program-fvap.gov-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP)