H.R. 8441 — Military VOTE Act

This section amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) to require states to accept the official post card form—prescribed under UOCAVA section 101 for simultaneous Federal voter registration and absentee ballot applications—when submitted by electronic means (email or online portal) or physical means, effective for the November 2026 federal general election and succeeding elections. (As background, UOCAVA facilitates absentee voting for members of the uniformed services and U.S. citizens abroad.) It further (1) authorizes $40 million in grants, beginning upon enactment, to assist states (including the District of Columbia and territories) unable to comply with the electronic acceptance requirement if they certify their inability, describe existing processes and implementation plans with cost breakdowns, and provide other requested information; and (2) requires states, absent a voter preference, to transmit absentee ballots electronically to uniformed services and overseas voters or, if lacking sufficient information, by any method allowable under state law.

This section revises section 104 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA)—which facilitates absentee voting and registration for absent uniformed services voters (i.e., military members and families) and overseas citizens—to require states accepting a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) for simultaneous registration and absentee ballot requests to provide absentee ballots for subsequent federal elections if requested by the voter: not fewer than the next two elections for paper ballots or each such election for electronic ballots. Exceptions apply if the voter's registration is cancelled, the state obtains evidence of ineligibility, or the voter requests termination of automatic ballots. The section further prohibits states from rejecting FPCAs or other applications from these voters due to early submission, directs conforming revisions to the FPCA to enable such requests, and applies to applications submitted on or after enactment.

This section directs the Presidential designee to submit to the President and relevant congressional committees, not later than one year after the date of enactment, an evaluation of whether voter registration information included in change-of-base packets—provided to absent uniformed services voters (i.e., military members covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) upon transfer to a new duty station—is timely and accurate for registering to vote in federal elections.

This section directs the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on the feasibility and costs of automatic voter registration for members of the uniformed services upon enlistment or commission, and automatic address updates for absent uniformed services members upon any change of address, including assessments of (1) using enlistment or commission information for voter registration and any additional data needed; (2) using such information to update existing registrations and any additional data needed; and (3) electronically transmitting the information to chief state election officials. The section further requires the Secretary to submit a report on the study to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, and make it publicly available, not later than 180 days after enactment.

This section clarifies that nothing in this Act limits the ability of Armed Forces members to register to vote in federal elections or revise their voter registration information—including place of residence—directly with a state election official.