[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8441 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8441
To amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to
require States to accept the official post card form prescribed by the
Secretary of Defense under such Act when submitted by electronic means,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 22, 2026
Mr. Casten introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on
Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to
require States to accept the official post card form prescribed by the
Secretary of Defense under such Act when submitted by electronic means,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Military Voters Overseas Technical
Enhancement Act'' or the ``Military VOTE Act''.
SEC. 2. PROMOTING TIMELY AND ACCURATE DELIVERY OF POST CARD FORM AND
ABSENTEE BALLOTS.
(a) Acceptance of Post Card Form Transmitted Electronically.--
(1) Requiring acceptance.--Section 102(a)(4) of the
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C.
20302(a)(4)) is amended to read as follows:
``(4) use the official post card form prescribed under
section 101 for simultaneous voter registration application and
absentee ballot application, and accept such post card form
when submitted by electronic means (defined as submission by
electronic mail or submission through an online portal) or
physical means;''.
(2) Grants to states to assist in meeting requirement.--
(A) Grants.--Beginning on the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Presidential designee under section
101(a) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee
Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20301(a)) shall make a grant to a
State to assist the State in complying with the
requirement under section 102(a)(4) of such Act (52
U.S.C. 20302(a)(4)), as amended by paragraph (1), to
accept the official post card form prescribed under
section 101 of such Act when the form is submitted by
electronic mail or through an online portal.
(B) Requirements for states.--The Presidential
designee shall make a grant to a State under this
paragraph only if the State provides to the Secretary
the following information and assurances:
(i) A certification that the State is
unable to comply with the requirement described
in subparagraph (A).
(ii) A description of the State's existing
process for receiving the official post card
form described in subparagraph (A).
(iii) The State's plan to implement the
means necessary to comply with such
requirement, including a detailed breakdown of
the costs the State will incur.
(iv) Any further relevant information that
the Secretary may request.
(C) Authorization of appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated $40,000,000 to carry out
this paragraph.
(D) State defined.--In this paragraph, the term
``State'' means each State, the District of Columbia,
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam,
the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth
of the Northern Mariana Islands.
(b) Electronic Transmission of Absentee Ballots.--Section 102(f)(2)
of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20302(f)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
``(2) Transmission if no preference indicated.--If an
absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter does not
designate a preference under paragraph (1)(B)--
``(A) the State shall transmit the ballot
electronically; or
``(B) if the State lacks sufficient information to
transmit the ballot electronically, the State shall
transmit the ballot by any delivery method allowable in
accordance with applicable State law.''.
(c) Effective Date.--This section and the amendments made by this
section shall apply with respect to the regularly scheduled general
election for Federal office held in November 2026 and each succeeding
election for Federal office.
SEC. 3. USE OF SINGLE ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION FOR SUBSEQUENT
ELECTIONS.
(a) In General.--Section 104 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens
Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20306) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 104. TREATMENT OF BALLOT REQUESTS.
``(a) Use of Application by Absent Uniformed Services and Overseas
Voters for Subsequent Elections.--
``(1) In general.--If a State accepts and processes an
official post card form (prescribed under section 101)
submitted by an absent uniformed services voter or overseas
voter for simultaneous voter registration and absentee ballot
application (in accordance with section 102(a)(4)) and the
voter requests that the application be considered an
application for an absentee ballot for each subsequent election
for Federal office held in the State, the State shall provide
an absentee ballot to the voter--
``(A) in the case of a voter who requests the
ballot in paper form, for not fewer than the next 2
such subsequent elections; or
``(B) in the case of a voter who receives the
ballot in electronic form, for each such subsequent
election.
``(2) Exceptions.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply with
respect to a voter if--
``(A) the voter's registration is cancelled by the
State;
``(B) the State obtains evidence that the voter is
no longer eligible to register to vote or vote as an
absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter; or
``(C) the voter requests that the State no longer
provide the voter with an absentee ballot under this
subsection.
``(b) Prohibition of Refusal of Application on Grounds of Early
Submission.--A State may not refuse to accept or to process, with
respect to any election for Federal office, any otherwise valid voter
registration application or absentee ballot application (including the
post card form prescribed under section 101) submitted by an absent
uniformed services voter or overseas voter on the grounds that the
voter submitted the application before the first date on which the
State otherwise accepts or processes such applications for that
election which are submitted by absentee voters who are not members of
the uniformed services or overseas citizens.''.
(b) Conforming Revision to Post Card Form.--Section 101 of such Act
(52 U.S.C. 20301) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(2), by striking the semicolon and
inserting ``, in accordance with subsection (c);'';
(2) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections
(c) and (d); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new
subsection:
``(c) Use of Official Post Card Form for Registration for
Subsequent Elections.--The Presidential designee shall ensure that the
official post card form prescribed under subsection (b)(2) enables a
voter using the form to request an absentee ballot for subsequent
elections for Federal office held in a State, as provided under section
104.''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this subsection shall
apply with respect to voter registration and absentee ballot
applications which are submitted to a State or local election official
on or after the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. EVALUATION OF ACCURACY AND TIMELINESS OF VOTER REGISTRATION
INFORMATION PROVIDED TO ABSENT UNIFORMED SERVICES VOTERS
UPON TRANSFER TO NEW DUTY STATION.
Section 105A of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting
Act (52 U.S.C. 20308) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new
subsection:
``(c) Adequacy of Voter Registration Information Provided to
Members Upon Transfer to New Duty Station.--Not later than one year
after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Presidential
designee shall submit to the President and the relevant congressional
committees an evaluation of whether the information on voter
registration which is included in the change of base packet provided to
absent uniformed services voters who are transferred to new duty
stations provides timely and accurate information on how such voters
may register to vote in elections for Federal office.''.
SEC. 5. STUDY AND REPORT ON FEASIBILITY OF AUTOMATIC VOTER
REGISTRATION.
(a) Study.--The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a study of the
feasibility of the creation of a system of automatic voter registration
for members of the uniformed services upon enlistment or receiving
commission, as well as the creation of a system to automatically update
the address of absent members of the uniformed services for voter
registration purposes upon any change of address for such member,
including an assessment of the feasibility and costs of--
(1) using information already collected as part of the
enlistment or commission process for purposes of voter
registration, including whether such information is sufficient
for States to register an individual to vote, and if not, what
other information would need to be collected as part of the
enlistment and commission process to enable this process;
(2) using information already collected as part of the
enlistment or commission process for purposes of updating voter
registration information for existing registrants, including
whether such information is sufficient for States to update an
existing registration, and if not, what other information would
need to be collected as part of the enlistment or commission
process to enable this process; and
(3) electronically transmitting such voter registration
information to chief State election officials.
(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on
Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives, and make
publicly available, a report on the study conducted under subsection
(a).
SEC. 6. NO EFFECT ON ABILITY TO REGISTER OR REVISE REGISTRATION
INFORMATION DIRECTLY.
Nothing in this Act or any amendment made by this Act shall be
construed to limit the ability of a member of the Armed Forces to
register to vote in elections for Federal office directly with a State
election official, or to revise the member's voter registration
information, including the member's place of residence, directly with a
State election official.
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