H. R. 2985—25
judge court convened pursuant to section 2284 of title 
28, United States Code. 
‘‘(ii) A copy of the complaint shall be delivered 
promptly to the Clerk of the House of Representatives. 
‘‘(iii) A final decision in the action shall be made 
within 3 days of the filing of such action and shall 
not be reviewable. 
‘‘(iv) The executive authority of the State that con-
tains the district of the Member of the House of Rep-
resentatives whose seat has been announced to be 
vacant shall have the right to intervene either in sup-
port of or opposition to the position of a party to 
the case regarding the announcement of such vacancy. 
‘‘(5) PROTECTING ABILITY OF ABSENT MILITARY AND OVER-
SEAS VOTERS TO PARTICIPATE IN SPECIAL ELECTIONS.—
‘‘(A) DEADLINE
FOR
TRANSMITTAL
OF
ABSENTEE
BAL-
LOTS.—In conducting a special election held under this 
subsection to fill a vacancy in its representation, the State 
shall ensure to the greatest extent practicable (including 
through the use of electronic means) that absentee ballots 
for the election are transmitted to absent uniformed serv-
ices voters and overseas voters (as such terms are defined 
in the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting 
Act) not later than 15 days after the Speaker of the House 
of Representatives announces that the vacancy exists. 
‘‘(B) PERIOD
FOR
BALLOT
TRANSIT
TIME.—Notwith-
standing the deadlines referred to in paragraphs (2) and 
(3), in the case of an individual who is an absent uniformed 
services voter or an overseas voter (as such terms are 
defined in the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee 
Voting Act), a State shall accept and process any otherwise 
valid ballot or other election material from the voter so 
long as the ballot or other material is received by the 
appropriate State election official not later than 45 days 
after the State transmits the ballot or other material to 
the voter. 
‘‘(6) APPLICATION
TO
DISTRICT
OF
COLUMBIA
AND
TERRI-
TORIES.—This subsection shall apply—
‘‘(A) to a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the 
Congress in the same manner as it applies to a Member 
of the House of Representatives; and 
‘‘(B) to the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the United 
States Virgin Islands in the same manner as it applies 
to a State, except that a vacancy in the representation 
from any such jurisdiction in the House shall not be taken 
into account by the Speaker in determining whether vacan-
cies in the representation from the States in the House 
exceed 100 for purposes of paragraph (4)(A). 
‘‘(7) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING FEDERAL ELECTION 
LAWS.—Nothing in this subsection may be construed to affect 
the application to special elections under this subsection of 
any Federal law governing the administration of elections for 
Federal office (including any law providing for the enforcement 
of any such law), including, but not limited to, the following: 
‘‘(A) The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 
et seq.), as amended.
H. R. 2985—26
‘‘(B) The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handi-
capped Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ee et seq.), as amended. 
‘‘(C) The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee 
Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff et seq.), as amended. 
‘‘(D) The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 
U.S.C. 1973gg et seq.), as amended. 
‘‘(E) The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 
U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), as amended. 
‘‘(F) The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 701 
et seq.), as amended. 
‘‘(G) The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 
15301 et seq.), as amended.’’. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Legislative Branch Appropriations 
Act, 2006’’.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.