{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://casten.house.gov/media/press-releases/casten-introduces-legislation-to-remove-barriers-to-voting-for-overseas-service-members", "Casten Introduces Legislation to Remove Barriers to Voting for Overseas Service Members", "2024-10-30", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Sean Casten", "C001117", "casten.house.gov", "casten", "https://casten.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 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.\n\n\u201cOur service members \u2013 who put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms \u2014 currently face far too many unnecessary barriers that limit their ability to consistently vote,\u201d said Rep. Sean Casten. \u201cIt\u2019s past time we make sure the Department of Defense takes reasonable steps to ensure that members of the Armed Forces have reliable ballot access.\u201d\n\nSince 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.\n\nHowever, 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\u2019t receive their ballot in time, or the ballot never arrived.\n\nTo remedy this issue, the Military VOTE Act takes the following steps:\n\nMakes voter registration affirmatively available upon enlistment \u2013 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.\n\nPromotes 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.\n\nRequires 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.\n\nRequires that states provide absentee ballots for all elections moving forward if service members requests, until the voter is no longer a uniformed service member.\n\nProhibits states from rejecting absentee ballot applications on the grounds of early submission\n\nRequires 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.\n\nThe Military VOTE Act has been endorsed by FairVote.\n\nText of the legislation can be found here.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://casten.house.gov/media/press-releases/casten-introduces-legislation-to-remove-barriers-to-voting-for-overseas-service-members"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5076389536261559, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}