[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 467 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 467

  To provide grants for States to adopt the Federal write-in absentee 
ballot and to amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting 
Act to require uniform treatment by States of Federal write-in absentee 
                                ballots.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 6, 2001

  Mr. Roberts introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
         referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide grants for States to adopt the Federal write-in absentee 
ballot and to amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting 
Act to require uniform treatment by States of Federal write-in absentee 
                                ballots.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Grant Authorized.--The Secretary of Defense, through the 
Federal Voting Assistance Program, is authorized to award grants to 
States to enable States to adopt and use--
            (1) the Federal write-in absentee ballot under section 103 
        of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1973ff-2); and
            (2) the absentee ballot mailing envelopes prescribed under 
        section 101 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff);
in lieu of any State absentee ballot or envelope with respect to 
ballots of overseas voters for a primary or general election for 
Federal office.
    (b) Application.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of State, or any other State 
        official responsible for implementing and monitoring elections, 
        of each State desiring a grant under this section shall submit 
        an application to the Secretary of Defense at such time, in 
        such manner, and accompanied by such information as the 
        Secretary of Defense by regulation may reasonably require.
            (2) Contents.--Each application submitted under paragraph 
        (1) shall--
                    (A) describe the activities for which assistance 
                under this section is sought; and
                    (B) provide such additional assurances as the 
                Secretary of Defense determines to be essential to 
                ensure compliance with the requirements of this section 
                and section 103 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens 
                Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff-2).
    (c) Amount of Grant.--The Secretary of Defense shall determine the 
amount of any grant to be provided under this section in such a manner 
to ensure that all costs for the purposes for which the grant is 
awarded will be reimbursed.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions 
of this section.

SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSENTEE BALLOT.

    Section 103 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff-2) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(g) Requirements for States Receiving Certain Grants.--If a State 
receives a grant amount with respect to use of Federal write-in 
absentee ballots under the program administered by the Federal Voting 
Assistance Program within the Department of Defense, the State shall, 
in addition to the other requirements of this section--
            ``(1) treat any otherwise valid Federal write-in absentee 
        ballot, that meets the uniform requirements promulgated by the 
        Presidential designee under this title for such ballot, as 
        meeting applicable State law regarding acceptance of absentee 
        ballots; and
            ``(2) accept and count any otherwise valid Federal write-in 
        absentee ballot received by the appropriate State election 
        official on a date that is not later than 10 days after the 
        date of the election to which the ballot refers.
    ``(h) Regulations.--The Presidential designee shall promulgate a 
regulation--
            ``(1) stating uniform requirements for treatment and 
        acceptance of Federal write-in absentee ballots; and
            ``(2) to provide that the design of any absentee ballot or 
        envelope under this title--
                    ``(A) has a marking to distinguish the ballot and 
                envelope as belonging to an overseas voter; and
                    ``(B) allows the voter to attest on the ballot that 
                the ballot is cast prior to the date of the election to 
                which the ballot refers.''.
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