I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3473 

To direct the Presidential designee under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to carry out pilot programs to permit States 

to test the feasibility of using alternative methods, including the use 

of advanced electronic technologies and the Internet, to enable absent 

uniformed services voters to register to vote and vote in elections for 

Federal office, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 31, 2009 

Mr. DAVIS of Alabama introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on House Administration 

A BILL 

To direct the Presidential designee under the Uniformed 

and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to carry out 

pilot programs to permit States to test the feasibility 

of using alternative methods, including the use of advanced electronic technologies and the Internet, to enable 

absent uniformed services voters to register to vote and 

vote in elections for Federal office, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. OPERATION OF PROGRAMS. 

2 (a) PROGRAMS ESTABLISHED.—The Presidential 

3 designee under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Ab4 sentee Voting Act (hereafter referred to as the ‘‘Presi5 dential designee’’) shall carry out a series of pilot pro6 grams to test the feasibility of using alternative methods, 

7 including the use of advanced electronic technologies and 

8 the Internet, to enable absent uniformed services voters 

9 to register to vote and vote in elections for Federal office. 

10 (b) AGREEMENTS WITH PARTICIPATING STATES.— 

11 To carry out a pilot program under this Act, the Presi12 dential designee and the chief State election official of a 

13 participating State shall enter into an agreement which 

14 sets forth the following: 

15 (1) The specific alternative methods for ena16 bling absent uniformed services voters to register to 

17 vote and vote in elections for Federal office in the 

18 State which will be tested under the program. 

19 (2) The steps to be taken by the Presidential 

20 designee, the chief State election official, and other 

21 election officials in the State to enable these alter22 native methods to be tested under the program. 

23 (3) The role to be played by the State advisory 

24 panel described in section 2(b) in assisting the chief 

25 State election official in carrying out the agreement. 

26 (4) The duration of the program. 


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1 (5) Such other terms and conditions as may be 

2 agreed to by the Presidential designee and the chief 

3 State election official (consistent with the require4 ments of this Act). 

5 (c) ISSUES TO BE CONSIDERED IN PROGRAMS.—In 

6 carrying out a pilot program under this Act, the Presi7 dential designee may consider the following issues: 

8 (1) The transmission of electronic voting mate9 rial across military networks. 

10 (2) Virtual private networks, cryptographic vot11 ing systems, centrally controlled voting stations, and 

12 other information security techniques. 

13 (3) The transmission of ballot representations 

14 and scanned pictures in a secure manner. 

15 (4) Capturing, retaining, and comparing elec16 tronic and physical ballot representations. 

17 (5) Utilization of voting stations at military 

18 bases. 

19 (6) Document delivery and upload systems. 

20 (7) The functional effectiveness of the applica21 tion or adoption of the pilot program to operational 

22 environments, taking into account environmental 

23 and logistical obstacles and State procedures. 

24 (d) PRIORITY IN SELECTION OF ELIGIBLE

25 STATES.—In selecting among States eligible to participate 


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1 in a pilot program under this Act, the Presidential des2 ignee shall give priority to States with the greatest number 

3 of individuals eligible to register to vote and vote in elec4 tions for Federal office in the State who are absent uni5 formed services voters. 

6 (e) NO EFFECT ON OTHER FEDERAL ELECTION

7 LAWS.—The operation of a pilot program under this Act 

8 may not conflict with or substitute for existing Federal 

9 laws, regulations, or procedures with respect to the partici10 pation of absent uniformed services voters in elections for 

11 Federal office. 

12 SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF STATES TO PARTICIPATE. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—A State is eligible to participate 

14 in a pilot program under this Act if the chief State election 

15 official of the State submits to the Presidential designee, 

16 at such time and in such form as the Presidential designee 

17 may require, an application containing— 

18 (1) assurances that the State has established an 

19 advisory panel described in subsection (b); and 

20 (2) such other information and assurances as 

21 the Presidential designee may require. 

22 (b) STATE ADVISORY PANEL.— 

23 (1) PANELS DESCRIBED.—An advisory panel 

24 described in this subsection is a panel established by 

25 the State to assist the chief State election official in 


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1 entering into and carrying out an agreement with 

2 the Presidential designee under section 1(b), con3 sisting of representatives of the following: 

4 (A) Local election officials in the State. 

5 (B) Members of the uniformed services 

6 who are residents of the State, including mem7 bers of the National Guard and Reserve Com8 ponents thereof. 

9 (C) The spouses and dependents of mem10 bers of the uniformed services who are residents 

11 of the State, including members of the National 

12 Guard and Reserve Components thereof. 

13 (D) The committees of the State legisla14 ture with jurisdiction over the election adminis15 tration laws of the State. 

16 (E) Organizations promoting the integrity 

17 of the voting process in the State. 

18 (2) METHOD OF ESTABLISHMENT.—The State 

19 shall establish the advisory panel under this sub20 section in a manner which ensures that the panel 

21 will be bipartisan in nature and will reflect the var22 ious geographic regions of the State. 

23 SEC. 3. REPORTS. 

24 The Presidential designee shall submit to Congress 

25 reports on the progress and outcomes of any pilot program 


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1 conducted under this Act, and shall include in the reports 

2 such recommendations as the Presidential designee con3 siders appropriate for further legislation and administra4 tive action. 

5 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

6 In this Act— 

7 (1) the term ‘‘absent uniformed services voter’’ 

8 has the meaning given such term in section 107(1) 

9 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee 

10 Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff–6(1)); 

11 (2) the ‘‘chief State election official’’ of a State 

12 is the individual designated by the State under sec13 tion 10 of the National Voter Registration Act of 

14 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–8) to be responsible for co15 ordination of the State’s responsibilities under such 

16 Act; and 

17 (3) the term ‘‘State’’ includes the District of 

18 Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 

19 Guam, American Samoa, and the United States Vir20 gin Islands. 

21 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

22 There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

23 this Act such sums as may be necessary, to remain avail24 able until expended. 

Æ 


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