ESTABLISHMENT OF PROCEDURES FOR ABSENT UNIFORMED SERVICES VOTERS AND OVERSEAS VOTERS TO REQUEST AND FOR STATES TO SEND VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS AND ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS BY MAIL AND ELECTRONICALLY.

SEC. 577. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROCEDURES FOR ABSENT UNIFORMED SERVICES VOTERS AND OVERSEAS VOTERS TO REQUEST AND FOR STATES TO SEND VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS AND ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS BY MAIL AND ELECTRONICALLY.(a) In General.—Section 102 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff–1) is amended—(1) in subsection (a)—(A) in paragraph (4), by striking “and” at the end;(B) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and(C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:“(6) in addition to any other method of registering to vote or applying for an absentee ballot in the State, establish procedures—“(A) for absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters to request by mail and electronically voter registration applications and absentee ballot applications with respect to general, special, primary, and runoff elections for Federal office in accordance with subsection (e);“(B) for States to send by mail and electronically (in accordance with the preferred method of transmission designated by the absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter under subparagraph (C)) voter registration applications and absentee ballot applications requested under subparagraph (A) in accordance with subsection (e); and“(C) by which the absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter can designate whether the voter prefers that such voter registration application or absentee ballot application be transmitted by mail or electronically.”; and(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:“(e) Designation of Means of Electronic Communication for Absent Uniformed Services Voters and Overseas Voters To Request and for States To Send Voter Registration Applications and Absentee Ballot Applications, and for Other Purposes Related to Voting Information.—“(1) In general.—Each State shall, in addition to the designation of a single State office under subsection (b), designate not less than 1 means of electronic communication—“(A) for use by absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters who wish to register to vote or vote in any jurisdiction in the State to request voter registration applications and absentee ballot applications under subsection (a)(6);“(B) for use by States to send voter registration applications and absentee ballot applications requested under such subsection; and123 STAT. 2320“(C) for the purpose of providing related voting, balloting, and election information to absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters.“(2) Clarification regarding provision of multiple means of electronic communication.—A State may, in addition to the means of electronic communication so designated, provide multiple means of electronic communication to absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters, including a means of electronic communication for the appropriate jurisdiction of the State.“(3) Inclusion of designated means of electronic communication with informational and instructional materials that accompany balloting materials.—Each State shall include a means of electronic communication so designated with all informational and instructional materials that accompany balloting materials sent by the State to absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters.“(4) Availability and maintenance of online repository of state contact information.—The Federal Voting Assistance Program of the Department of Defense shall maintain and make available to the public an online repository of State contact information with respect to elections for Federal office, including the single State office designated under subsection (b) and the means of electronic communication designated under paragraph (1), to be used by absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters as a resource to send voter registration applications and absentee ballot applications to the appropriate jurisdiction in the State.“(5) Transmission if no preference indicated.—In the case where an absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter does not designate a preference under subsection (a)(6)(C), the State shall transmit the voter registration application or absentee ballot application by any delivery method allowable in accordance with applicable State law, or if there is no applicable State law, by mail.“(6) Security and privacy protections.—“(A) Security protections.—To the extent practicable, States shall ensure that the procedures established under subsection (a)(6) protect the security and integrity of the voter registration and absentee ballot application request processes.“(B) Privacy protections.—To the extent practicable, the procedures established under subsection (a)(6) shall ensure that the privacy of the identity and other personal data of an absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter who requests or is sent a voter registration application or absentee ballot application under such subsection is protected throughout the process of making such request or being sent such application.”.(b) Effective Date.—The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2010 and each succeeding election for Federal office.123 STAT. 2321