HCS/SS/SCS/SB 116 - Currently, the Secretary of State is charged with establishing procedures for absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters to request, receive, and send voter registration applications and request and receive absentee ballots by mail or electronically. This act repeals provisions related to absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters and institutes the Uniformed Military and Overseas Voters Act to apply to all federal elections, statewide and state legislative elections or local elections where absentee ballots are authorized. The Secretary of State is required to establish an electronic transmission system through which a covered voter may apply and receive voter registration materials and military-overseas ballots.
The act allows uniformed services and overseas voters to use a federal postcard application or the declaration accompanying a federal write-in absentee ballot to apply to register to vote. Such voters who are registered to vote in Missouri may apply for a military-overseas ballot and those who are not registered may use a federal postcard application to simultaneously register and apply for a military-overseas ballot.
Covered voters may use a federal write-in absentee ballot to vote for all offices and ballot measures.
A "covered voter" is defined as a uniformed-services voter who is registered to vote in this state, has a voting residence in this state, and who otherwise satisfies this state's voter eligibility requirements and includes overseas voters who are otherwise eligible to vote in Missouri.
Valid military-overseas ballots shall be counted if received before noon on the Friday after the election day.
No election authority or verification board shall certify election results before noon on the Friday after the election day and a valid military-overseas ballots shall be counted if received before that time.
The act shall take effect on July 1, 2014.
This act is similar to SB 892 (2012).
CHRIS HOGERTY