Directs the Presidential designee under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to carry out a series of pilot programs to test the feasibility of using alternative methods, including advanced electronic technologies and the Internet, to enable absent uniformed services voters to register to vote and vote in federal.
Specifies criteria for a state to be eligible to participate in such a pilot program.
[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3473 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3473
To direct the Presidential designee under the Uniformed and Overseas
Citizens Absentee Voting Act to carry out pilot programs to permit
States to test the feasibility of using alternative methods, including
the use of advanced electronic technologies and the Internet, to enable
absent uniformed services voters to register to vote and vote in
elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 31, 2009
Mr. Davis of Alabama introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on House Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Presidential designee under the Uniformed and Overseas
Citizens Absentee Voting Act to carry out pilot programs to permit
States to test the feasibility of using alternative methods, including
the use of advanced electronic technologies and the Internet, to enable
absent uniformed services voters to register to vote and vote in
elections for Federal office, 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. OPERATION OF PROGRAMS.
(a) Programs Established.--The Presidential designee under the
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (hereafter referred
to as the ``Presidential designee'') shall carry out a series of pilot
programs to test the feasibility of using alternative methods,
including the use of advanced electronic technologies and the Internet,
to enable absent uniformed services voters to register to vote and vote
in elections for Federal office.
(b) Agreements With Participating States.--To carry out a pilot
program under this Act, the Presidential designee and the chief State
election official of a participating State shall enter into an
agreement which sets forth the following:
(1) The specific alternative methods for enabling absent
uniformed services voters to register to vote and vote in
elections for Federal office in the State which will be tested
under the program.
(2) The steps to be taken by the Presidential designee, the
chief State election official, and other election officials in
the State to enable these alternative methods to be tested
under the program.
(3) The role to be played by the State advisory panel
described in section 2(b) in assisting the chief State election
official in carrying out the agreement.
(4) The duration of the program.
(5) Such other terms and conditions as may be agreed to by
the Presidential designee and the chief State election official
(consistent with the requirements of this Act).
(c) Issues To Be Considered in Programs.--In carrying out a pilot
program under this Act, the Presidential designee may consider the
following issues:
(1) The transmission of electronic voting material across
military networks.
(2) Virtual private networks, cryptographic voting systems,
centrally controlled voting stations, and other information
security techniques.
(3) The transmission of ballot representations and scanned
pictures in a secure manner.
(4) Capturing, retaining, and comparing electronic and
physical ballot representations.
(5) Utilization of voting stations at military bases.
(6) Document delivery and upload systems.
(7) The functional effectiveness of the application or
adoption of the pilot program to operational environments,
taking into account environmental and logistical obstacles and
State procedures.
(d) Priority in Selection of Eligible States.--In selecting among
States eligible to participate in a pilot program under this Act, the
Presidential designee shall give priority to States with the greatest
number of individuals eligible to register to vote and vote in
elections for Federal office in the State who are absent uniformed
services voters.
(e) No Effect on Other Federal Election Laws.--The operation of a
pilot program under this Act may not conflict with or substitute for
existing Federal laws, regulations, or procedures with respect to the
participation of absent uniformed services voters in elections for
Federal office.
SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF STATES TO PARTICIPATE.
(a) In General.--A State is eligible to participate in a pilot
program under this Act if the chief State election official of the
State submits to the Presidential designee, at such time and in such
form as the Presidential designee may require, an application
containing--
(1) assurances that the State has established an advisory
panel described in subsection (b); and
(2) such other information and assurances as the
Presidential designee may require.
(b) State Advisory Panel.--
(1) Panels described.--An advisory panel described in this
subsection is a panel established by the State to assist the
chief State election official in entering into and carrying out
an agreement with the Presidential designee under section 1(b),
consisting of representatives of the following:
(A) Local election officials in the State.
(B) Members of the uniformed services who are
residents of the State, including members of the
National Guard and Reserve Components thereof.
(C) The spouses and dependents of members of the
uniformed services who are residents of the State,
including members of the National Guard and Reserve
Components thereof.
(D) The committees of the State legislature with
jurisdiction over the election administration laws of
the State.
(E) Organizations promoting the integrity of the
voting process in the State.
(2) Method of establishment.--The State shall establish the
advisory panel under this subsection in a manner which ensures
that the panel will be bipartisan in nature and will reflect
the various geographic regions of the State.
SEC. 3. REPORTS.
The Presidential designee shall submit to Congress reports on the
progress and outcomes of any pilot program conducted under this Act,
and shall include in the reports such recommendations as the
Presidential designee considers appropriate for further legislation and
administrative action.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act--
(1) the term ``absent uniformed services voter'' has the
meaning given such term in section 107(1) of the Uniformed and
Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff-6(1));
(2) the ``chief State election official'' of a State is the
individual designated by the State under section 10 of the
National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-8) to
be responsible for coordination of the State's responsibilities
under such Act; and
(3) the term ``State'' includes the District of Columbia,
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the
United States Virgin Islands.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act such
sums as may be necessary, to remain available until expended.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
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