### §2670. Use of facilities by private organizations; use as polling places

(a) Use by Red Cross.—Under such conditions as he may prescribe, the Secretary of any military department may issue a revocable license to the American National Red Cross to—

(1) erect and maintain, on any military installation under his jurisdiction, buildings for the storage of supplies; or

(2) use, for the storage of supplies, buildings erected by the United States.

Supplies stored in buildings erected or used under this subsection are available to aid the civilian population in a serious national disaster.

(b) Use of Certain Facilities as Polling Places.—(1) Notwithstanding chapter 29 of title 18 (including sections 592 and 593 of such title) or any other provision of law, the Secretary of Defense or Secretary of a military department may not (except as provided in paragraph (3)) prohibit the designation or use of a qualifying facility under the jurisdiction of the Secretary as an official polling place for local, State, or Federal elections.

(2) A Department of Defense facility is a qualifying facility for purposes of this subsection if as of December 31, 2000—

(A) the facility is designated as an official polling place by a State or local election official; or

(B) the facility has been used as such an official polling place since January 1, 1996.

(3) The limitation in paragraph (1) may be waived by the Secretary of Defense or Secretary of the military department concerned with respect to a particular Department of Defense facility if the Secretary of Defense or Secretary concerned determines that local security conditions require prohibition of the designation or use of that facility as an official polling place for any election.

(c) Use of Space and Equipment by Veterans Service Organizations.—(1) Upon certification to the Secretary concerned by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary concerned shall allow accredited, paid, full-time representatives of the organizations named in section 5902 of title 38, or of other organizations recognized by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to function on military installations under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned that are on land and from which persons are discharged or released from active duty.

(2) The commanding officer of a military installation allowing representatives to function on the installation under paragraph (1) shall allow the representatives to use available space and equipment at the installation.

(3) This subsection does not authorize the violation of measures of military security.

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 151; Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title XVI, §1607(a)–(b)(2), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1279, 1280; Pub. L. 108–375, div. B, title XXVIII, §2821(c)(1), (e)(2), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 2129, 2130.)

| Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2670 | 36:12. | June 3, 1916, ch. 134, §127a (5th par.); added June 4, 1920, ch. 227, subch. I, §51 (5th par.); restated July 17, 1953, ch. 222, §3, 67 Stat. 178. |

The word "issue" is substituted for the words "grant permission". The word "use" is substituted for the words "occupy for that purpose".

#### **Editorial Notes**

#### Amendments

2004—Pub. L. 108–375, §2821(e)(2), substituted "Use of facilities by private organizations; use as polling places" for "Military installations: use by American National Red Cross; use as polling places" in section catchline.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 108–375, §2821(c)(1), added subsec. (c).

2001—Pub. L. 107–107 substituted "Military installations: use by American National Red Cross; use as polling places" for "Licenses: military installations; erection and use of buildings; American National Red Cross" in section catchline, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, substituted "this subsection" for "this section" in concluding provisions, and added subsec. (b).

#### **Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries**

#### Regulations

Pub. L. 108–375, div. B, title XXVIII, §2821(c)(3), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 2129, provided that: "The regulations prescribed to carry out [former] section 2679 of title 10, United States Code, as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 28, 2004], shall remain in effect with regard to section 2670(c) of such title, as added by paragraph (1), until changed by joint action of the Secretary concerned (as defined in section 101(9) of such title [now 10 U.S.C. 101(a)(9)]) and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs."