(c) Annual Effectiveness and Compliance Reviews.—
(1)
The Inspector General of each of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps shall conduct—
(A) an annual review of the effectiveness of voting assistance programs; and
(B) an annual review of the compliance with voting assistance programs of that armed force.
(2) Upon the completion of each annual review under paragraph (1), each Inspector General specified in that paragraph shall submit to the Inspector General of the Department of Defense a report on the results of each such review. Such report shall be submitted in time each year to be reflected in the report of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense under paragraph (3).
(3)
Not later than March 31 each year, the Inspector General of the Department of Defense shall submit to Congress a report on—
(A) the effectiveness during the preceding calendar year of voting assistance programs; and
(B) the level of compliance during the preceding calendar year with voting assistance programs of each of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
(g) Delivery of Mail From Overseas Preceding Federal Elections.—
(1) During the four months preceding a general Federal election month, the Secretary of Defense shall periodically conduct surveys of all overseas locations and vessels at sea with military units responsible for collecting mail for return shipment to the United States and all port facilities in the United States and overseas where military-related mail is collected for shipment to overseas locations or to the United States. The purpose of each survey shall be to determine if voting materials are awaiting shipment at any such location and, if so, the length of time that such materials have been held at that location. During the fourth and third months before a general Federal election month, such surveys shall be conducted biweekly. During the second and first months before a general Federal election month, such surveys shall be conducted weekly.
(2) The Secretary shall ensure that voting materials are transmitted expeditiously by military postal authorities at all times. The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, implement measures to ensure that a postmark or other official proof of mailing date is provided on each absentee ballot collected at any overseas location or vessel at sea whenever the Department of Defense is responsible for collecting mail for return shipment to the United States. The Secretary shall ensure that the measures implemented under the preceding sentence do not result in the delivery of absentee ballots to the final destination of such ballots after the date on which the election for Federal office is held.
(3) In this section, the term “general Federal election month” means November in an even-numbered year.
(i) Registration and Voting Information for Members and Dependents.—
(1) The Secretary of each military department, using a variety of means including both print and electronic media, shall, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure that members of the armed forces and their dependents who are qualified to vote have ready access to information regarding voter registration requirements and deadlines (including voter registration), absentee ballot application requirements and deadlines, and the availability of voting assistance officers to assist members and dependents to understand and comply with these requirements.
(2) The Secretary of each military department shall make the national voter registration form prepared for purposes of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act by the Federal Election Commission available so that each person who enlists shall receive such form at the time of the enlistment, or as soon thereafter as practicable.
(3) Where practicable, a special day or days shall be designated at each military installation for the purpose of informing members of the armed forces and their dependents of election timing, registration requirements, and voting procedures.
References in Text
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, referred to in subsecs. (b)(1), (e), and (i)(2), is Pub. L. 99–410, Aug. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 924, which was formerly classified principally to subchapter I–G (§ 1973ff et seq.) of chapter 20 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering in Title 52, Voting and Elections, and is now classified principally to chapter 203 (§ 20301 et seq.) of Title 52. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.
Amendments
2006—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 109–364, § 596(a), struck out subsec. (d), which required the Inspector General of the Department of Defense to periodically conduct unannounced assessments of compliance with requirements of law regarding voting by members of the armed forces at Department of Defense installations.
Subsec. (g)(2). Pub. L. 109–364, § 596(d), struck out at end “Not later than April 29, 2003, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing the measures to be implemented to ensure the timely transmittal and postmarking of voting materials and identifying the persons responsible for implementing such measures.”
2004—Subsec. (g)(2). Pub. L. 108–375, § 1084(d)(13)(A), substituted “April 29, 2003” for “the date that is 6 months after the date of the enactment of the Help America Vote Act of 2002”.
Subsecs. (h), (i)(1), (3). Pub. L. 108–375, § 1084(d)(13)(B), substituted “armed forces” for “Armed Forces”.
2002—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 107–252, § 701(a), designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).
Subsec. (g)(2). Pub. L. 107–252, § 701(b), inserted at end “The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, implement measures to ensure that a postmark or other official proof of mailing date is provided on each absentee ballot collected at any overseas location or vessel at sea whenever the Department of Defense is responsible for collecting mail for return shipment to the United States. The Secretary shall ensure that the measures implemented under the preceding sentence do not result in the delivery of absentee ballots to the final destination of such ballots after the date on which the election for Federal office is held. Not later than the date that is 6 months after the date of the enactment of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing the measures to be implemented to ensure the timely transmittal and postmarking of voting materials and identifying the persons responsible for implementing such measures.”
Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 107–252, § 701(c), added subsec. (h).
Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 107–252, § 701(d), added subsec. (i).
Initial Report
Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title XVI, § 1602(b), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1276, directed that the first report under subsec. (c)(3) of this section be submitted not later than Mar. 31, 2003.