SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Military Voting Protec-
tion Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. REQUIRING COLLECTION AND DELIVERY OF ABSEN-
TEE BALLOTS OF ABSENT OVERSEAS UNI-
FORMED SERVICES VOTERS. 
(a) REQUIRING COLLECTION AND DELIVERY BY SEC-
RETARY
OF DEFENSE.—The Uniformed and Overseas 
Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff et seq.) 
is amended by inserting after section 103 the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 103A. COLLECTION AND DELIVERY OF ABSENTEE 
BALLOTS OF ABSENT OVERSEAS UNIFORMED 
SERVICES VOTERS. 
‘‘(a) COLLECTION.—The Presidential designee shall 
establish procedures for collecting absentee ballots of ab-
sent overseas uniformed services voters in elections for 
Federal office, including absentee ballots prepared by 
States and the Federal write-in absentee ballot prescribed 
under section 103, and for delivering the ballots to the 
appropriate State election officials. 
‘‘(b) ENSURING DELIVERY PRIOR TO CLOSING OF 
POLLS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Under the procedures es-
tablished under this section, the Presidential des-
ignee shall ensure that any absentee ballot collected 
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prior to the applicable deadline described in para-
graph (2) is delivered to the appropriate State elec-
tion official prior to the time established by the 
State for the closing of the polls on the date of the 
election. 
‘‘(2) APPLICABLE DEADLINE.—The applicable 
deadline described in this paragraph is— 
‘‘(A) noon (in the location in which the 
ballot is collected) on the last Friday that pre-
cedes the date of the election involved, in the 
case of a regularly scheduled general election 
for Federal office; or 
‘‘(B) noon (in the location in which the 
ballot is collected) on the fourth day that imme-
diately precedes the date of the election in-
volved, in the case of any other election for 
Federal office. 
‘‘(c) USE OF CONTRACTORS.— 
‘‘(1) USE
OF
CONTRACTOR
PERMITTED.—To 
the greatest extent practicable, the Presidential des-
ignee shall carry out this section by contract with a 
private provider of air transportation. 
‘‘(2) TRACKING MECHANISM.—Any contract en-
tered into pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include a 
requirement that the private provider of air trans-
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portation implement procedures to enable any indi-
vidual whose absentee ballot is collected by the Pres-
idential designee under the procedures established 
under this section to track the progress of the ballot 
using the Internet, an automated telephone system, 
or such other methods as may be provided under the 
contract. 
‘‘(d) ABSENT
OVERSEAS
UNIFORMED
SERVICES 
VOTER DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘absent over-
seas uniformed services voter’ means an overseas voter de-
scribed in section 107(5)(A). 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Presidential des-
ignee such sums as may be necessary to carry out this 
section. Any amounts appropriated pursuant to the au-
thorization under this subsection shall remain available 
until expended without fiscal year limitation.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) 
FEDERAL
RESPONSIBILITIES.—Section 
101(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff(b)) is amend-
ed— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (6); 
(B) by striking the period at the end of 
paragraph (7) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
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(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(8) carry out section 103A with respect to the 
collection and delivery of absentee ballots of absent 
overseas uniformed services voters in elections for 
Federal office.’’. 
(2) STATE RESPONSIBILITIES.—Section 102(a) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff–1(a)) is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (4); 
(B) by striking the period at the end of 
paragraph (5) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(6) carry out section 103A(b)(2) with respect 
to the processing and acceptance of absentee ballots 
of absent overseas uniformed services voters.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to the regularly sched-
uled general election for Federal office held in November 
2008 and each succeeding election for Federal office. 
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SEC. 3. PROTECTING VOTER PRIVACY AND SECRECY OF AB-
SENTEE BALLOTS. 
Section 101(b) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citi-
zens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff(b)), as 
amended by section 2(b), is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(7); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (8) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(9) take such actions as may be required to 
ensure that absent uniformed services voters are 
able to cast absentee ballots in a private and inde-
pendent manner, and that the contents of absentee 
ballots of absent uniformed services voters and over-
seas voters will remain secret until tabulation by the 
appropriate State election official.’’. 
Æ 
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