Casten Introduces Legislation to Remove Barriers to Voting for Overseas Service Members
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) introduced the Military Voter Overseas Technical Enhancement (VOTE) Act, legislation to improve access to the ballot for military voters stationed overseas.
“Our service members – who put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms — currently face far too many unnecessary barriers that limit their ability to consistently vote,” said Rep. Sean Casten. “It’s past time we make sure the Department of Defense takes reasonable steps to ensure that members of the Armed Forces have reliable ballot access.”
Since 1986, military members on active duty stationed away from their voting residence have been covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), which requires that states allow these military members, their eligible families, and overseas citizens to vote absentee in federal elections.
However, members of the Armed Forces often face barriers to full participation as voters, particularly as they move between duty sites domestically and around the world. In 2020, 49% of military voters participated in the election, as compared to 66% of all voting-eligible Americans, with many reporting that they either didn’t receive their ballot in time, or the ballot never arrived.
To remedy this issue, the Military VOTE Act takes the following steps:
- Makes voter registration affirmatively available upon enlistment – service members will be asked if they are eligible to register to vote, and, if so, be provided registration materials. The DOD will then accept the form and transmit it to the appropriate state election official.
- Promotes the timely and accurate delivery of absentee ballots by requiring that UOCAVA (military and related overseas voters) voters be provided ballots electronically, unless another preference is specified, or the required information to transmit the ballot electronically is not made available.
- Requires that the DOD take steps to ensure that the appropriate state election official has timely and accurate contact information for uniformed service voters and notify the appropriate state when the voter is no longer a uniformed service member.
- Requires that states provide absentee ballots for all elections moving forward if service members requests, until the voter is no longer a uniformed service member.
- Prohibits states from rejecting absentee ballot applications on the grounds of early submission
- Requires that no later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the bill, a report be provided to Congress and the President on the efficacy of the information provided on registration in the change of base packet military voters receive upon transfer to a new duty station.
The Military VOTE Act has been endorsed by FairVote.
Text of the legislation can be found here.
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