1.
(a)The Presidential
designee under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act
(hereafter referred to as the Presidential designee
) shall carry
out a series of pilot programs to test the feasibility of using alternative
methods, including the use of advanced electronic technologies and the
Internet, to enable absent uniformed services voters to register to vote and
vote in elections for Federal office.
(b)Agreements With
Participating StatesTo carry
out a pilot program under this Act, the Presidential designee and the chief
State election official of a participating State shall enter into an agreement
which sets forth the following:
(1)The specific
alternative methods for enabling absent uniformed services voters to register
to vote and vote in elections for Federal office in the State which will be
tested under the program.
(2)The steps to be
taken by the Presidential designee, the chief State election official, and
other election officials in the State to enable these alternative methods to be
tested under the program.
(3)The role to be
played by the State advisory panel described in section 2(b) in assisting the
chief State election official in carrying out the agreement.
(4)The duration of
the program.
(5)Such other terms
and conditions as may be agreed to by the Presidential designee and the chief
State election official (consistent with the requirements of this Act).
(c)Issues To be
Considered in ProgramsIn
carrying out a pilot program under this Act, the Presidential designee may
consider the following issues:
(1)The transmission
of electronic voting material across military networks.
(2)Virtual private
networks, cryptographic voting systems, centrally controlled voting stations,
and other information security techniques.
(3)The transmission
of ballot representations and scanned pictures in a secure manner.
(4)Capturing,
retaining, and comparing electronic and physical ballot representations.
(5)Utilization of
voting stations at military bases.
(6)Document delivery
and upload systems.
(7)The functional
effectiveness of the application or adoption of the pilot program to
operational environments, taking into account environmental and logistical
obstacles and State procedures.
(d)Priority in
Selection of Eligible StatesIn selecting among States eligible
to participate in a pilot program under this Act, the Presidential designee
shall give priority to States with the greatest number of individuals eligible
to register to vote and vote in elections for Federal office in the State who
are absent uniformed services voters.
(e)No Effect on
Other Federal Election LawsThe operation of a pilot program under this
Act may not conflict with or substitute for existing Federal laws, regulations,
or procedures with respect to the participation of absent uniformed services
voters in elections for Federal office.
2.Eligibility of
States to Participate
(a)A State is eligible to participate in a pilot program
under this Act if the chief State election official of the State submits to the
Presidential designee, at such time and in such form as the Presidential
designee may require, an application containing—
(1)assurances that
the State has established an advisory panel described in subsection (b);
and
(2)such other
information and assurances as the Presidential designee may require.
(b)
(1)An advisory panel described in this subsection is a
panel established by the State to assist the chief State election official in
entering into and carrying out an agreement with the Presidential designee
under section 1(b), consisting of representatives of the following:
(A)Local election
officials in the State.
(B)Members of the
uniformed services who are residents of the State, including members of the
National Guard and Reserve Components thereof.
(C)The spouses and dependents of members of
the uniformed services who are residents of the State, including members of the
National Guard and Reserve Components thereof.
(D)The committees of
the State legislature with jurisdiction over the election administration laws
of the State.
(E)Organizations
promoting the integrity of the voting process in the State.
(2)The State shall establish the advisory panel under
this subsection in a manner which ensures that the panel will be bipartisan in
nature and will reflect the various geographic regions of the State.
3.The Presidential designee shall submit to
Congress reports on the progress and outcomes of any pilot program conducted
under this Act, and shall include in the reports such recommendations as the
Presidential designee considers appropriate for further legislation and
administrative action.
4.In this Act—
(1)the term
absent uniformed services voter has the meaning given such term in
section 107(1) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42
U.S.C. 1973ff–6(1));
(2)the chief State election
official
of a State is the individual designated by the State under
section 10 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–8)
to be responsible for coordination of the State’s responsibilities under such
Act; and
(3)the term State includes the
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa,
and the United States Virgin Islands.
5.Authorization of
AppropriationsThere are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act such sums as may be
necessary, to remain available until expended.