I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2082 

To amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to 

require States to accept absentee ballots of overseas military and civilian 

voters which are submitted by the voter to a provider of express mail 

services not later than the day before the date of the election involved 

for transmission to the appropriate State election official, to require 

the Secretary of Defense to reimburse overseas military voters for the 

costs of using a provider of express mail services to transmit the ballot 

to the official, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 23, 2009 

Mr. HOLT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on House Administration 

A BILL 

To amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee 

Voting Act to require States to accept absentee ballots 

of overseas military and civilian voters which are submitted by the voter to a provider of express mail services 

not later than the day before the date of the election 

involved for transmission to the appropriate State election official, to require the Secretary of Defense to reimburse overseas military voters for the costs of using 

a provider of express mail services to transmit the ballot 

to the official, and for other purposes. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Military and Overseas 

5 Voting Enhancement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ACCEPTANCE OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS OF OVER7 SEAS MILITARY AND CIVILIAN VOTERS USING 

8 EXPRESS MAIL SERVICES FOR TRANS9 MISSION. 

10 Section 102(a) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citi11 zens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff–1(a)) is 

12 amended— 

13 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

14 (4); 

15 (2) by striking the period at the end of para16 graph (5) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

17 (3) by adding at the end the following new 

18 paragraph: 

19 ‘‘(6) accept and process, with respect to any 

20 election for Federal office, any otherwise valid ab21 sentee ballot (including the Federal write-in absentee 

22 ballot under section 103) from an overseas voter 

23 who provides the ballot to a provider of express mail 

24 services for transmission to the appropriate State 

25 election official not later than the day before the 


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1 date of the election (as determined on the basis of 

2 either a postmark or a dated receipt generated by 

3 the provider of express mail services at the time the 

4 voter provides the ballot to such provider), so long 

5 as the ballot is received by the official prior to the 

6 expiration of the 10-day period which begins on the 

7 date of the election (or, if longer, such period as 

8 may be provided under State law).’’. 

9 SEC. 3. REIMBURSEMENT OF COSTS INCURRED BY OVER10 SEAS MILITARY VOTERS IN USING EXPRESS 

11 MAIL SERVICES FOR TRANSMISSION OF AB12 SENTEE BALLOTS. 

13 (a) REIMBURSEMENT.—Section 101 of the Uni14 formed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 

15 U.S.C. 1973ff) is amended by adding at the end the fol16 lowing new subsection: 

17 ‘‘(d) REIMBURSEMENT FOR COSTS INCURRED BY

18 OVERSEAS UNIFORMED SERVICES VOTERS IN USING EX19 PRESS MAIL SERVICES FOR TRANSMISSION OF ABSENTEE

20 BALLOTS.— 

21 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Presidential designee 

22 shall make a payment to each eligible overseas voter 

23 described in section 107(5)(A) whose absentee ballot 

24 was transmitted to the appropriate State election of25 ficial by a provider of express mail services in an 


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1 amount equal to the reasonable costs incurred by the 

2 voter in using the provider to transmit the ballot. 

3 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY OF VOTERS.—For purposes of 

4 paragraph (1), an overseas voter described in section 

5 107(5)(A) is eligible to receive a payment from the 

6 Presidential designee under such paragraph if the 

7 voter submits to the Presidential designee (at such 

8 time and in such form as the Presidential designee 

9 may require) such information and assurances as 

10 the Presidential designee may require regarding the 

11 voter’s use of a provider of express mail services to 

12 transmit an absentee ballot and the costs incurred 

13 by the voter in using the provider to transmit the 

14 ballot. 

15 ‘‘(3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

16 There are authorized to be appropriated to the Pres17 idential designee such sums as may be necessary to 

18 carry out this subsection.’’. 

19 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 101(b) of 

20 such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff(b)) is amended— 

21 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

22 (6); 

23 (2) by striking the period at the end of para24 graph (7) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 


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1 (3) by adding at the end the following new 

2 paragraph: 

3 ‘‘(8) make payments to overseas uniformed 

4 services voters whose absentee ballots are trans5 mitted to State election officials by providers of ex6 press mail services, in accordance with subsection 

7 (d).’’. 

8 SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

9 The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 

10 respect to each election for Federal office held on or after 

11 the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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