I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4237 
To amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to 
prohibit States from refusing to accept balloting materials solely because 
the materials are generated through the use of a computer program, 
are not printed on a specific type of paper, or do not otherwise meet 
similar extraneous requirements which are not clearly necessary to pre-
vent fraud in the conduct of elections, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 15, 2007 
Mrs. MALONEY of New York (for herself and Mr. HONDA) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administra-
tion, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Re-
form, 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 amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee 
Voting Act to prohibit States from refusing to accept 
balloting materials solely because the materials are gen-
erated through the use of a computer program, are not 
printed on a specific type of paper, or do not otherwise 
meet similar extraneous requirements which are not 
clearly necessary to prevent fraud in the conduct of 
elections, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Overseas Voting Prac-
tical Amendments Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF OFFICIAL FEDERAL FORM AS 
FEDERAL VOTER REGISTRATION AND BAL-
LOT APPLICATION. 
(a) DESIGNATION AND DISTRIBUTION.—Section 101 
of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ‘‘an official 
post card form’’ and inserting ‘‘an official Federal 
Voter Registration and Ballot Application’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ‘‘official 
post card forms’’ and inserting ‘‘official Federal 
Voter Registration and Ballot Applications’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) 
STATE
RESPONSIBILITIES.—Section 
102(a)(4) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff–1(a)(4)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘the official post card form’’ 
and inserting ‘‘the official Federal Voter Registra-
tion and Ballot Application’’. 
(2) USE OF SINGLE APPLICATION FOR ALL SUB-
SEQUENT ELECTIONS.—Section 104 of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 1973ff–3) is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘an offi-
cial post card form’’ and inserting ‘‘an official 
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Federal Voter Registration and Ballot Applica-
tion’’; 
(B) in subsection (c)— 
(i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘OFFI-
CIAL POST CARD FORM’’ and inserting 
‘‘OFFICIAL FEDERAL VOTER REGISTRA-
TION AND BALLOT APPLICATION’’, and 
(ii) in the matter preceding paragraph 
(1), by striking ‘‘official post card form’’ 
and inserting ‘‘official Federal Voter Reg-
istration and Ballot Application’’; and 
(C) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘the 
postcard form’’ and inserting ‘‘the official Fed-
eral Voter Registration and Ballot Application’’. 
(3) DEFINITION OF BALLOTING MATERIALS.— 
Section 107(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff–6(2)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘official post card forms’’ 
and inserting ‘‘official Federal Voter Registration 
and Ballot Applications’’. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITING REFUSAL TO ACCEPT APPLICATIONS, 
BALLOTS, AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR FAIL-
URE 
TO 
MEET 
NONESSENTIAL 
REQUIRE-
MENTS. 
(a) VOTER REGISTRATION AND ABSENTEE BALLOT 
APPLICATIONS.—Section 102 of the Uniformed and Over-
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seas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff–1) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(e) PROHIBITING REFUSAL TO ACCEPT APPLICA-
TIONS FOR FAILURE TO MEET NONESSENTIAL REQUIRE-
MENTS.—A State may not refuse to accept or process any 
otherwise valid voter registration application or absentee 
ballot application (including the official Federal Voter 
Registration and Ballot Application prescribed under sec-
tion 101) submitted by an absent uniformed services voter 
or overseas voter on any of the following grounds: 
‘‘(1) The application is not on a post card, is 
printed or otherwise produced through the use of a 
computer program or an Internet site, or is other-
wise a facsimile of an official application. 
‘‘(2) In the case of the official Federal Voter 
Registration and Ballot Application prescribed under 
section 101, the application does not include specific 
information included on applications produced by the 
State. 
‘‘(3) The application, the envelope in which the 
application is submitted, or any affidavit or other at-
testation accompanying the application does not con-
form to specific requirements under State law re-
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garding the size, shape, weight, or color of the paper 
on which it is produced. 
‘‘(4) The application is not notarized or wit-
nessed by a Notary Public or other official author-
ized to administer oaths. 
‘‘(5) The application is received by the State 
other than through delivery by the United States 
Postal Service. 
‘‘(6) The application, the envelope in which the 
application is submitted, or any affidavit or other at-
testation accompanying the application does not 
meet any other requirement which the Presidential 
designee determines (under regulations promulgated 
by the Presidential designee) is not clearly necessary 
to prevent fraud in the conduct of elections.’’. 
(b) ABSENTEE BALLOTS.—Section 103 of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1973ff–2) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (f) as sub-
section (g); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (e) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(f) PROHIBITING REFUSAL TO ACCEPT BALLOT 
FOR
FAILURE
TO
MEET
NONESSENTIAL
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—A State may not refuse to accept or process any 
otherwise valid absentee ballot, including the Federal 
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the Presidential designee) is not clearly necessary to 
prevent fraud in the conduct of elections.’’. 
SEC. 4. REQUIRING CLARIFICATION OF POSTAGE MARK-
INGS ON CERTAIN BALLOTING MATERIALS 
MAILED BY STATES. 
Section 3406 of title 39, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as sub-
section (c); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(b) In the case of balloting materials under the Uni-
formed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act con-
sisting of pre-printed return envelopes which are prepared 
by a State for the submission of materials by an absent 
uniformed services voter or overseas voter under such 
Act— 
‘‘(1) the State shall ensure that the address to 
which the materials are to be submitted includes the 
designation ‘United States of America’ or ‘USA’; 
and 
‘‘(2) if the materials are designated as postage 
paid, the State shall clarify whether the designation 
applies only to materials mailed within the United 
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States or to materials mailed overseas through the 
Army Post Office or Fleet Post Office.’’. 
SEC. 5. PROVISION OF BALLOTS IN SUBSEQUENT ELEC-
TIONS. 
(a) PERMITTING VOTERS TO REQUEST ABSENTEE 
BALLOTS
IN ALL SUBSEQUENT ELECTIONS.—Section 
104(a) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee 
Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff–3(a)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘through the next 2 regularly scheduled general elec-
tions’’ and all that follows through ‘‘such general elec-
tions),’’ and inserting ‘‘(subject to subsections (b) and 
(d)),’’ 
(b) WAIVER OF REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE ABSEN-
TEE BALLOTS IN SUBSEQUENT ELECTIONS TO INDIVID-
UALS WITH UNKNOWN ADDRESSES.—Section 104(a) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff–3(a)) is amended by striking 
the period at the end and inserting the following: ‘‘, other 
than any election occurring after any absentee ballot or 
other election material sent by the State to the voter is 
returned to the State as undeliverable or with no for-
warding address within the State.’’. 
(c) PERMITTING EARLY SUBMISSION OF REQUEST 
DURING PREVIOUS YEAR.—Section 104(e) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1973ff–3(e)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘during a year’’; and 
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(2) by striking ‘‘for that year’’. 
SEC. 6. APPLICATION OF UOCAVA TO INDIVIDUALS NEVER 
RESIDING IN UNITED STATES WHOSE PAR-
ENTS ARE OVERSEAS VOTERS. 
Section 107(5)(C) of the Uniformed and Overseas 
Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff–6(5)(C)) 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(C) a person who resides outside the 
United States and (but for such residence) 
would be qualified to vote— 
‘‘(i) in the last place in which the per-
son was domiciled before leaving the 
United States, or 
‘‘(ii) in the case of an individual who 
has never resided in the United States, in 
the last place in which the person’s parent 
or guardian was domiciled before leaving 
the United States;’’. 
SEC. 7. REQUIRING PROMPT NOTIFICATION OF REJECTION 
OF VOTER REGISTRATION OR ABSENTEE 
BALLOT REQUEST. 
Section 102(d) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citi-
zens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff–1(d)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘shall provide’’ and inserting ‘‘shall 
promptly provide’’. 
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SEC. 8. USE OF DIPLOMATIC POUCH FOR RETURNING COM-
PLETED ABSENTEE BALLOTS. 
Section 101(c) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citi-
zens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff(c)) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) USE OF DIPLOMATIC POUCH FOR RETURN-
ING COMPLETED ABSENTEE BALLOTS.—If an over-
seas voter delivers a completed absentee ballot to an 
overseas facility of the Department of State, the 
Secretary of State shall use the diplomatic pouch to 
transmit the ballot to the United States, but only 
if— 
‘‘(A) the ballot is delivered to the facility 
not earlier than 14 days prior to the date of the 
election involved; and 
‘‘(B) the Secretary of State determines 
that there is no effective alternative available at 
the location of the facility (including private 
courier services) for the overseas voter to use to 
ensure the timely receipt of the ballot.’’. 
SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 
respect to elections occurring on or after the expiration 
of the 45-day period which begins on the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
Æ 
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