Determining your voting state of residence

  • Published
  • By Maj. Jenice Little
  • 319th Medical Support Squadron
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Determining your state of residency for voting is easy for most of us. First term Airmen usually default to their "State of Record". However, this is one of several options. Military members, including first term Airmen, may choose to claim the state of their assignment as their new "legal residence". Knowing where to register and mail Absentee Ballots will help ensure your vote counts. 

Uniformed Service personnel and their family members may not arbitrarily choose which state to declare as their legal voting residence without meeting the state's residency requirement. Knowing the differences between "home of record" "residence", and "legal residence" will help you understand your voting rights.
Your home of record is the city and state of the Military Entrance Processing Station where you signed your military accession papers. Normally your home of record never changes. 

Residence simply refers to a place you own, lease, rent, etc. For example, you may own a house in Tennessee, lease a condo in Florida and rent an apartment in San Antonio. Each one of these places is a "residence "and you may have more than one. "Legal residence" (also known as "domicile") refers to the state which you call "home". This is the state where you file income tax (if that state has an income tax) and is the state where you intend to return after you leave the military. You may only have one domicile. 

Military members do not have to change their domicile every time the move. However, military members can make the change if they meet certain criteria: (1) you must be living in the state which you intend to claim as your new domicile; (2) You must intend to make a home in that state; (3) you must intend to abandon your previous domicile and (4) you must be physically present in the new state at the time you intend to change your domicile. The military member, now a residence of a new state, should apply for a new driver's license, register your car, and pay state and local taxes in the new state. He or she is also required to complete and submit DD Form 2058, State of Legal Residence Certificate, to your local Finance Office.

For more information or help, call:
· 474-VOTE Action Hotline
· Installation Voting Assistance Officer - Maj Jenice Little, 747-5528
· Your Unit Voting Assistance Officer
· 319 Legal Office
References from U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet, Brooks City Base and FVAP website