H.R. 8441

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8441 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8441

To amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to 
require States to accept the official post card form prescribed by the 
Secretary of Defense under such Act when submitted by electronic means, 
and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 22, 2026

Mr. Casten introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on 
Armed Services, 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 
require States to accept the official post card form prescribed by the 
Secretary of Defense under such Act when submitted by electronic means, 
and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Military Voters Overseas Technical 
Enhancement Act'' or the ``Military VOTE Act''.

SEC. 2. PROMOTING TIMELY AND ACCURATE DELIVERY OF POST CARD FORM AND 
ABSENTEE BALLOTS.

(a) Acceptance of Post Card Form Transmitted Electronically.--
(1) Requiring acceptance.--Section 102(a)(4) of the 
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 
20302(a)(4)) is amended to read as follows:
``(4) use the official post card form prescribed under 
section 101 for simultaneous voter registration application and 
absentee ballot application, and accept such post card form 
when submitted by electronic means (defined as submission by 
electronic mail or submission through an online portal) or 
physical means;''.
(2) Grants to states to assist in meeting requirement.--
(A) Grants.--Beginning on the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Presidential designee under section 
101(a) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee 
Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20301(a)) shall make a grant to a 
State to assist the State in complying with the 
requirement under section 102(a)(4) of such Act (52 
U.S.C. 20302(a)(4)), as amended by paragraph (1), to 
accept the official post card form prescribed under 
section 101 of such Act when the form is submitted by 
electronic mail or through an online portal.
(B) Requirements for states.--The Presidential 
designee shall make a grant to a State under this 
paragraph only if the State provides to the Secretary 
the following information and assurances:
(i) A certification that the State is 
unable to comply with the requirement described 
in subparagraph (A).
(ii) A description of the State's existing 
process for receiving the official post card 
form described in subparagraph (A).
(iii) The State's plan to implement the 
means necessary to comply with such 
requirement, including a detailed breakdown of 
the costs the State will incur.
(iv) Any further relevant information that 
the Secretary may request.
(C) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
authorized to be appropriated $40,000,000 to carry out 
this paragraph.
(D) State defined.--In this paragraph, the term 
``State'' means each State, the District of Columbia, 
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, 
the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands.
(b) Electronic Transmission of Absentee Ballots.--Section 102(f)(2) 
of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20302(f)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
``(2) Transmission if no preference indicated.--If an 
absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter does not 
designate a preference under paragraph (1)(B)--
``(A) the State shall transmit the ballot 
electronically; or
``(B) if the State lacks sufficient information to 
transmit the ballot electronically, the State shall 
transmit the ballot by any delivery method allowable in 
accordance with applicable State law.''.
(c) Effective Date.--This section and the amendments made by this 
section shall apply with respect to the regularly scheduled general 
election for Federal office held in November 2026 and each succeeding 
election for Federal office.

SEC. 3. USE OF SINGLE ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION FOR SUBSEQUENT 
ELECTIONS.

(a) In General.--Section 104 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens 
Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20306) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 104. TREATMENT OF BALLOT REQUESTS.

``(a) Use of Application by Absent Uniformed Services and Overseas 
Voters for Subsequent Elections.--
``(1) In general.--If a State accepts and processes an 
official post card form (prescribed under section 101) 
submitted by an absent uniformed services voter or overseas 
voter for simultaneous voter registration and absentee ballot 
application (in accordance with section 102(a)(4)) and the 
voter requests that the application be considered an 
application for an absentee ballot for each subsequent election 
for Federal office held in the State, the State shall provide 
an absentee ballot to the voter--
``(A) in the case of a voter who requests the 
ballot in paper form, for not fewer than the next 2 
such subsequent elections; or
``(B) in the case of a voter who receives the 
ballot in electronic form, for each such subsequent 
election.
``(2) Exceptions.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply with 
respect to a voter if--
``(A) the voter's registration is cancelled by the 
State;
``(B) the State obtains evidence that the voter is 
no longer eligible to register to vote or vote as an 
absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter; or
``(C) the voter requests that the State no longer 
provide the voter with an absentee ballot under this 
subsection.
``(b) Prohibition of Refusal of Application on Grounds of Early 
Submission.--A State may not refuse to accept or to process, with 
respect to any election for Federal office, any otherwise valid voter 
registration application or absentee ballot application (including the 
post card form prescribed under section 101) submitted by an absent 
uniformed services voter or overseas voter on the grounds that the 
voter submitted the application before the first date on which the 
State otherwise accepts or processes such applications for that 
election which are submitted by absentee voters who are not members of 
the uniformed services or overseas citizens.''.
(b) Conforming Revision to Post Card Form.--Section 101 of such Act 
(52 U.S.C. 20301) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(2), by striking the semicolon and 
inserting ``, in accordance with subsection (c);'';
(2) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections 
(c) and (d); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new 
subsection:
``(c) Use of Official Post Card Form for Registration for 
Subsequent Elections.--The Presidential designee shall ensure that the 
official post card form prescribed under subsection (b)(2) enables a 
voter using the form to request an absentee ballot for subsequent 
elections for Federal office held in a State, as provided under section 
104.''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this subsection shall 
apply with respect to voter registration and absentee ballot 
applications which are submitted to a State or local election official 
on or after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. EVALUATION OF ACCURACY AND TIMELINESS OF VOTER REGISTRATION 
INFORMATION PROVIDED TO ABSENT UNIFORMED SERVICES VOTERS 
UPON TRANSFER TO NEW DUTY STATION.

Section 105A of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting 
Act (52 U.S.C. 20308) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
subsection:
``(c) Adequacy of Voter Registration Information Provided to 
Members Upon Transfer to New Duty Station.--Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Presidential 
designee shall submit to the President and the relevant congressional 
committees an evaluation of whether the information on voter 
registration which is included in the change of base packet provided to 
absent uniformed services voters who are transferred to new duty 
stations provides timely and accurate information on how such voters 
may register to vote in elections for Federal office.''.

SEC. 5. STUDY AND REPORT ON FEASIBILITY OF AUTOMATIC VOTER 
REGISTRATION.

(a) Study.--The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a study of the 
feasibility of the creation of a system of automatic voter registration 
for members of the uniformed services upon enlistment or receiving 
commission, as well as the creation of a system to automatically update 
the address of absent members of the uniformed services for voter 
registration purposes upon any change of address for such member, 
including an assessment of the feasibility and costs of--
(1) using information already collected as part of the 
enlistment or commission process for purposes of voter 
registration, including whether such information is sufficient 
for States to register an individual to vote, and if not, what 
other information would need to be collected as part of the 
enlistment and commission process to enable this process;
(2) using information already collected as part of the 
enlistment or commission process for purposes of updating voter 
registration information for existing registrants, including 
whether such information is sufficient for States to update an 
existing registration, and if not, what other information would 
need to be collected as part of the enlistment or commission 
process to enable this process; and
(3) electronically transmitting such voter registration 
information to chief State election officials.
(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on 
Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives, and make 
publicly available, a report on the study conducted under subsection 
(a).

SEC. 6. NO EFFECT ON ABILITY TO REGISTER OR REVISE REGISTRATION 
INFORMATION DIRECTLY.

Nothing in this Act or any amendment made by this Act shall be 
construed to limit the ability of a member of the Armed Forces to 
register to vote in elections for Federal office directly with a State 
election official, or to revise the member's voter registration 
information, including the member's place of residence, directly with a 
State election official.
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