II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1867 

To extend to individuals evacuated from their residences as a result of 

Hurricane Katrina the right to use the absentee balloting and registration 

procedures available to military and overseas voters under the Uniformed 

and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 7 (legislative day, OCTOBER 6), 2005 

Mr. FEINGOLD introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration 

A BILL 

To extend to individuals evacuated from their residences 

as a result of Hurricane Katrina the right to use the 

absentee balloting and registration procedures available 

to military and overseas voters under the Uniformed 

and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and for 

other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Displaced Citizens 

5 Voter Protection Act of 2005’’. 
2 

•S 1867 IS

1 SEC. 2. APPLICABILITY OF PROTECTIONS FOR ABSENT 

2 MILITARY AND OVERSEAS VOTERS TO 

3 KATRINA EVACUEES. 

4 (a) RIGHT OF KATRINA EVACUEES TO USE ABSEN5 TEE BALLOTING AND REGISTRATION PROCEDURES

6 AVAILABLE TO MILITARY AND OVERSEAS VOTERS.—In 

7 the case of any individual who is an eligible Hurricane 

8 Katrina evacuee— 

9 (1) the individual shall be treated in the same 

10 manner as an absent uniformed services voter and 

11 overseas voter for purposes of the Uniformed and 

12 Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 

13 1973ff et seq.), other than section 103(b)(1) (42 

14 U.S.C. 1973ff–2(b)(1)); and 

15 (2) the individual shall be deemed to be an indi16 vidual who is entitled to vote by absentee ballot for 

17 purposes of the National Voter Registration Act of 

18 1993 and the Help America Vote Act of 2002. 

19 (b) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the 

20 term ‘‘eligible Hurricane Katrina evacuee’’ means an indi21 vidual— 

22 (1) who certifies to the appropriate State elec23 tion official that the individual is absent from the 

24 place of residence where the individual is otherwise 

25 qualified to vote as a result of evacuation from an 

26 area affected by Hurricane Katrina; and 
3 

•S 1867 IS

1 (2) who provides the official with an affidavit 

2 stating that the individual intends to return to such 

3 place of residence after the election or elections in4 volved. 

5 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply with 

6 respect to elections for Federal office held in calendar 

7 years 2006 through 2008. 

8 SEC. 3. REQUIRING DESIGNATED VOTER REGISTRATION 

9 AGENCIES TO NOTIFY DISPLACED INDIVID10 UALS OF AVAILABILITY OF PROTECTIONS. 

11 Each motor vehicle authority in a State and each 

12 voter registration agency designated in a State under sec13 tion 7(a) of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 

14 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–5(a)) shall take such steps as may be 

15 necessary to notify individuals to whom services are pro16 vided of the protections provided by section 2 and of the 

17 requirements for obtaining those protections, including the 

18 requirement to submit an affidavit stating that the indi19 vidual intends to return to the place of residence where 

20 the individual is otherwise qualified to vote. 

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