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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10064 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10064

To direct the Secretary of Defense to provide an individual who enlists 
 as a member, or who is commissioned as an officer, of the Army, Navy, 
Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space Force and who is eligible to register 
   to vote in elections for Federal office in the State in which the 
individual resides with a voter registration application form for such 
 elections at the time the individual enlists or is commissioned, and 
                          for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 29, 2024

  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 direct the Secretary of Defense to provide an individual who enlists 
 as a member, or who is commissioned as an officer, of the Army, Navy, 
Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space Force and who is eligible to register 
   to vote in elections for Federal office in the State in which the 
individual resides with a voter registration application form for such 
 elections at the time the individual enlists or is commissioned, 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. MAKING VOTER REGISTRATION AVAILABLE UPON ENLISTMENT.

    (a) Voter Registration Availability.--At the time an individual 
enlists as a member, or is commissioned as an officer, of a covered 
Armed Force, the Secretary of Defense shall--
            (1) ask the individual if the individual is eligible to 
        register to vote in elections for Federal office in the State 
        in which the individual resides; and
            (2) if the individual responds by stating that the 
        individual is eligible to register to vote in such elections, 
        the Secretary shall, in accordance with section 7(a)(4) of the 
        National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 
        20506(a)(4))--
                    (A) provide the individual with a mail voter 
                registration application form;
                    (B) assist the individual in completing the form, 
                unless the individual refuses such assistance; and
                    (C) accept the individual's completed voter 
                registration application form for transmittal to the 
                appropriate State election official.
    (b) No Effect on Service in Covered Armed Force.--In carrying out 
this section with respect to any individual, the Secretary shall not--
            (1) seek to influence the individual's political preference 
        or party registration;
            (2) display any such political preference or party 
        allegiance;
            (3) make any statement to an individual or take any action 
        the purpose or effect of which is to discourage the individual 
        from registering to vote; or
            (4) make any statement to an individual or take any action 
        the purpose or effect of which is to lead the individual to 
        believe that a decision to register or not to register has any 
        bearing on the individual's service in a covered Armed Force.
    (c) Agreements.--The Secretary shall seek to enter into agreements 
with the appropriate State election officials to enable the Secretary 
to carry out this section.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``covered Armed Force'' means the Army, Navy, 
        Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space Force.
            (2) The terms ``election'' and ``Federal office'' have the 
        meaning given such terms in section 301 of the Federal Election 
        Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30101).
            (3) The term ``State'' means each of the several States, 
        the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
        Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the 
        Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

SEC. 3. PROMOTING TIMELY AND ACCURATE DELIVERY OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS.

    (a) Electronic Transmission.--Section 102(f)(2) of the Uniformed 
and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting 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.''.
    (b) Notification of Change of Address and Change in Uniformed 
Service Status.--Section 101(b) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20301(b)) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking the semicolon at the end of paragraph (10);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (11) and 
        inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
            ``(12) take such steps as may be necessary to ensure that 
        the appropriate State election official of a State has timely 
        and accurate contact information, including an updated mailing 
        address, for each uniformed services voter who is registered to 
        vote in the State, without regard to whether the voter is an 
        absent uniformed services voter; and
            ``(13) notify the appropriate State election official of a 
        State if an individual who is registered to vote in the State 
        and who is a uniformed services voter, including an absent 
        uniformed services voter, is no longer a uniformed services 
        voter.''.
    (c) Definition.--Section 107 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20310) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (7);
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (8) as paragraph (9); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(8) `uniformed services voter' means an individual who is 
        not absent from the place of residence where the member is 
        otherwise qualified to vote and who is--
                    ``(A) a member of a uniformed service on active 
                duty;
                    ``(B) a member of the merchant marine; or
                    ``(C) a spouse or dependent of a member referred to 
                in subparagraph (A) or (B) ; and''.

SEC. 4. 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 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 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 for each such subsequent election.
            ``(2) Exception for voters changing uniformed service 
        status.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to a voter 
        registered to vote in a State for any election held after the 
        voter is no longer a uniformed services voter.
    ``(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 
postcard 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 Postcard 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 postcard 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. 5. 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.''.
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