Military Voting Protection Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-3073
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Introduced: 2008-05-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Absentee voting
Armed Forces and National Security
Armed forces abroad
Ballots
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Election fraud
Express service
Government service contracts
Postal service
Right of privacy
Science, Technology, Communications
Soldier voting

Summary:
action_date: 2008-05-22
text: 
Military Voting Protection Act of 2008 - Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to direct the Secretary of Defense (the presidential designee) to establish procedures for: (1) collecting absentee ballots of military overseas voters in elections for federal office; and (2) delivering such ballots to the appropriate state election officials.

Requires the designee to: (1) ensure that such ballots are delivered prior to the time established for the closing of the polls on the date of the election; (2) carry out delivery requirements through a contract with a private provider of express mail services, which shall include a mechanism for ballot tracking; and (3) take steps to ensure that such voters are able to cast their votes in a private and independent manner, and that vote contents remain private while in the designee's possession or control.

Expresses the sense of Congress that the Department of Defense (DOD) should: (1) utilize existing and emerging technologies to enhance the ability of members of the Armed Forces to meaningfully participate in elections and have their votes counted; and (2) continue to closely examine the option of electronic voting, with the objective of protecting voter privacy and guarding against voter fraud.

action_date: 2008-10-01
text: 
Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to direct the Secretary of Defense (the presidential designee) to establish procedures for: (1) collecting marked absentee ballots of military overseas voters in elections for federal office; and (2) delivering such ballots to the appropriate state election officials.
 
Requires the designee to: (1) ensure that such ballots are delivered prior to the time established for the closing of the polls on the date of the election; and (2) carry out delivery requirements through a contract with one or more providers of express mail services, which shall include a mechanism for ballot tracking. Provides a special rule for voters in jurisdictions using post office boxes for the collection of such ballots. Prohibits states from refusing to accept such ballots on the grounds that they were not delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.
 
Authorizes appropriations.
 
Directs the designee to: (1) provide outreach to absentee military voters on the procedures established under this Act; (2) report, after each general election, to the congressional defense and appropriations committees on the utilization of such procedures; and (3) submit a one-time report to such committees on the status of implementation of this Act.
 
Prohibits states from refusing to accept voter registration and absentee ballot applications and write-in ballots for failure to meet nonessential requirements (requirements not clearly necessary to prevent fraud in the conduct of elections).


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-10-02
text: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
action_date: 2008-10-02
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2008-10-02
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2008-10-01
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2008-10-01
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2008-10-01
text: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S10394-10396)
action_date: 2008-10-01
text: Senate Committee on Rules and Administration discharged by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2008-10-01
text: Senate Committee on Rules and Administration discharged by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2008-05-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
action_date: 2008-05-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR  S4805)
action_date: 2008-05-22
text: Introduced in Senate