Military VOTE Act

Key Points

• The bill requires all states to accept the official military voter registration and absentee ballot request form (the Federal Post Card Application) when submitted electronically, either by email or through an online portal. This removes barriers for troops stationed overseas who may struggle with slow international mail.
• Military and overseas voters can use a single absentee ballot application to receive ballots for multiple future federal elections. Those who get electronic ballots can keep receiving them for every future election, while paper ballot recipients are covered for at least the next two elections.
• States must send ballots electronically by default if a military or overseas voter does not specify a delivery preference. This helps ensure service members in remote locations receive their ballots quickly rather than waiting on slow international mail.
• The bill authorizes $40 million in grants to help states upgrade their systems to accept electronic post card forms. States must certify they cannot currently comply and submit a plan with a cost breakdown to receive funds.
• The Department of Defense must study whether it is feasible to automatically register service members to vote when they enlist or receive a commission, and to automatically update their voter registration address whenever they move. A report is due within 180 days of enactment.
• States are prohibited from rejecting otherwise valid voter registration or absentee ballot applications from military and overseas voters just because they were submitted before the state's normal application window opens.