123STA T . 2321 PUBLIC LA W 111 –84—O CT. 28 , 2 0 0 9SEC.578 . ES TABLI S HM E N T OFPR OCE DU RES FOR STATES TO TRANSMIT BLAN K ABSENTEE BALLOTS B Y MAIL AND ELEC - TRONICALLY TO ABSENT UNIFORMED SER V ICES VOTERS AND OVERSEAS VOTERS. (a)INGE NE RAL.—Section102 o f t h e U nifo rm e d and Ov er s eas C iti z ens Ab sentee V otin g Act ( 4 2 U.S.C. 1 973 ff – 1) , as amended b y section 5 77, is amended— (1)ins u bsection (a)— (A) in p aragraph (5), by stri k ing ‘ ‘and ’ ’ attheend
( B ) in paragraph ( 6 ), by striking the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and (C) by adding at the end the fo l lo w ing new paragraph
‘‘(7) in addition to any other method of transmitting blank absentee ballots in the State, establish procedures for transmit - ting by mail and electronically blank absentee ballots to absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters with respect to general, special, primary, and runoff elections for F ederal office in accordance with subsection (f).’’; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: ‘‘(f) T RAN SMI SSI O NO F BLAN K A B SEN T EE BALLOTS B YM AIL AN DE LE C TRONICALLY.— ‘‘(1) IN G ENERAL.—Each State shall establish procedures— ‘‘(A) to transmit blank absentee ballots by mail and electronically (in accordance with the preferred method of transmission designated by the absent uniformed serv- ices voter or overseas voter under subparagraph (B)) to absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters for an election for Federal office; and ‘‘(B) by which the absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter can designate whether the voter prefers that such blank absentee ballot be transmitted by mail or electronically. ‘‘(2) TRANSMISSION IF NO P REFERENCE INDICATED.—In the case where an absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter does not designate a preference under paragraph (1)(B), the State shall transmit the ballot by any delivery method allowable in accordance with applicable State law, or if there is no applicable State law, by mail. ‘‘(3) SEC U RITY AND PRI V ACY PROTECTIONS.— ‘‘(A) SECURITY PROTECTIONS.—To the e x tent prac- ticable, States shall ensure that the procedures established under subsection (a)(7) protect the security and integrity of absentee ballots. ‘‘(B) P RIVACY PROTECTIONS.—To the extent practicable, the procedures established under subsection (a)(7) shall ensure that the privacy of the identity and other personal data of an absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter to whom a blank absentee ballot is transmitted under such subsection is protected throughout the process of such transmission.’’. (b) EFFECTIVE D ATE.—The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in N ovember 2010 and each succeeding election for Federal office. 42USC1973f f – 1 note.
