When overseas voters complete the FPCA form to register to vote and request their ballots, non-military voters are asked to choose one of two options:  

I am a U.S. citizen living outside the country, and I intend to return.

-- OR --

I am a U.S. citizen living outside the country, and my intent to return is uncertain.

This rather ambiguous choice can determine whether or not you are eligible to vote in Florida state elections, or if you will only be permitted to vote in federal elections, that is, elections for U.S. President, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives.  

First, we need to clear up a little of the ambiguity.  If you choose “I intend to return”, you don't have to have a set date of return and it doesn't have to be within a set time frame, but you do need to have an intention to return at some time in the future. 

In Florida, whether you receive a full ballot or a federal-only ballot is determined by the county elections office.  Most Florida counties will provide a full ballot to overseas voters who indicate, "I intend to return." Some counties also provide a full ballot to "return uncertain" voters, but several counties only provide a federal ballot to "return uncertain" voters.  You'll need to contact your local election office and ask what their policy is.

A notable exception is Miami-Dade County, which places additional restrictions on who will receive a full, state ballot.  In order to receive a full ballot, Miami-Dade requires that voters not only select, "I intend to return", but they must also indicate that they have, "ties to Miami-Dade County." We suggest that you add a comment to that effect in the "additional information" section of the FPCA.  

If you have any problems or questions about your ballot and which kind of ballot you should receive, please contact the Democrats Abroad Voter Helpdesk at [email protected].

A reminder about taxes ...

You may hear that choosing, "I intend to return" can result in tax liability, and indeed, some states use the answer to this question as one part of determining if a voter owes state income tax.  Keep in mind that Florida has no state income tax, so this is not an issue for Florida Voters!