I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4173 
To amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to 
promote the participation of absent overseas voters in elections for Fed-
eral office, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 14, 2007 
Mr. HONDA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee 
Voting Act to promote the participation of absent over-
seas voters in elections for Federal office, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Overseas Voting Edu-
cation and Reform, Safeguarding Every American’s Vote 
Act’’ or the ‘‘OVERSEAS Vote Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROHIBITING REFUSAL TO ACCEPT ABSENTEE BAL-
LOT FOR FAILURE TO INCLUDE NOTARIZA-
TION ON RETURN ENVELOPE. 
Section 103 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens 
Absentee Voting 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 INCLUDE NOTARIZATION ON RETURN 
ENVELOPE.—A State may not refuse to accept or process 
any otherwise valid absentee ballot, including the Federal 
write-in absentee ballot, submitted by an absent uniformed 
services voter or overseas voter on the grounds that the 
envelope in which the ballot is submitted is not notarized 
or witnessed by a Notary Public or other official author-
ized to administer oaths.’’. 
SEC. 3. WAIVING REQUIREMENT TO APPLY FOR STATE AB-
SENTEE BALLOT AS CONDITION FOR USE OF 
FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSENTEE BALLOT. 
(a) WAIVING REQUIREMENT.—Section 103(a) of the 
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 
U.S.C. 1973ff–2(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘who make 
timely applications for’’ and all that follows through ‘‘ab-
sentee ballots’’ and inserting a period. 
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(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO TIM-
ING OF REQUEST.—Section 103(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1973ff–2(b)) is amended— 
(1) by adding ‘‘or’’ at the end of paragraph (1); 
(2) by striking paragraph (2); and 
(3) by redesignating paragraph (3) as para-
graph (2). 
SEC. 4. 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 
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returned to the State as undeliverable or with no for-
warding address within the State.’’. 
SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM FOR OVERSEAS CIVILIAN VOTER 
OUTREACH. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.— 
(1) PROGRAM DESCRIBED.—The Election As-
sistance Commission (hereafter referred to as the 
‘‘Commission’’) shall establish and operate a pro-
gram for making grants to eligible organizations for 
carrying out activities to assist overseas civilian vot-
ers in voting in elections for Federal office and to 
increase turnout among such voters by providing 
them with information in advance of the date of an 
election on how to cast absentee ballots in such elec-
tions. 
(2) PERIOD OF GRANT.—Each grant awarded 
under the program under this section shall cover a 
2-year period. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY OF ORGANIZATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An organization is eligible to 
receive a grant under the program under this section 
if the organization submits to the Commission, at 
such time and in such form as the Commission may 
require, an application containing information and 
assurances that the organization meets the specific 
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requirements for eligibility described in paragraph 
(2), together with such other information and assur-
ances as the Commission considers appropriate. 
(2) SPECIFIC
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
ELIGI-
BILITY.—The specific requirements described in this 
paragraph are as follows: 
(A) The organization is nonpartisan in na-
ture and will carry out activities funded by the 
grant in a non partisan manner. 
(B) The organization will use the funds 
provided under the grant to carry out projects 
designed to increase the meaningful participa-
tion of overseas voters in elections for Federal 
office. 
(C) The organization will carry out 
projects that include at least one of the fol-
lowing activities: 
(i) Outreach and education to identify 
overseas civilian voters and provide them 
with accurate information about voter reg-
istration and voting in elections for Fed-
eral office, and to provide the information 
well in advance of applicable State dead-
lines. 
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