H.R. 3343 – Servicemember Voting Protection Act

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 5:13 PM UTC

The Servicemember Voting Protection Act amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to make it easier for active‑duty military members and overseas citizens to vote in federal elections. It requires states, when asked, to honor a single absentee‑ballot application for all future federal elections in that state through the next regular general election. The bill applies to uniformed‑service voters and overseas voters who receive absentee ballots.

Key Provisions

States must provide an absentee ballot for each subsequent federal election after a voter submits a single combined registration and ballot‑application postcard, if the voter requests it.
The rule does not apply if the voter later changes registration to another state or becomes ineligible to vote in the original state.
States cannot reject a valid registration or absentee‑ballot application from a uniformed‑service or overseas voter simply because it was submitted earlier than the state’s normal deadline for non‑military absentee voters.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Committee on House Administration

July 20, 2017

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

July 20, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Committee on House Administration

July 20, 2017

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued July 20, 2017

I

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3343

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 20, 2017

Mr. Kihuen introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

A BILL

To amend the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to require States upon request to provide absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters who receive absentee ballots in an election for Federal office held in the State with absentee ballots for all subsequent elections for Federal office held in the State through the next regularly scheduled general election for Federal office, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Servicemember Voting Protection Act.

2.

Use of single absentee ballot application for subsequent elections

(a)

In general

Section 104 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20306) is amended to read as follows:

104.

Use of single application for subsequent elections

(a)

In general

If a State accepts and processes an official post card form (prescribed under section 101) submitted by an absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter for simultaneous voter registration and absentee ballot application (in accordance with section 102(a)(4)) and the voter requests that the application be considered an application for an absentee ballot for each subsequent election for Federal office held in the State through the next regularly scheduled general election for Federal office (including any runoff elections which may occur as a result of the outcome of such general election), the State shall provide an absentee ballot to the voter for each such subsequent election.

(b)

Exception for voters changing registration

Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to a voter registered to vote in a State for any election held after the voter notifies the State that the voter no longer wishes to be registered to vote in the State or after the State determines that the voter has registered to vote in another State or is otherwise no longer eligible to vote in the State.

(c)

Prohibition of refusal of application on grounds of early submission

A State may not refuse to accept or to process, with respect to any election for Federal office, any otherwise valid voter registration application or absentee ballot application (including the postcard form prescribed under section 101) submitted by an absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter on the grounds that the voter submitted the application before the first date on which the State otherwise accepts or processes such applications for that election which are submitted by absentee voters who are not members of the uniformed services or overseas citizens.

.

(b)

Effective date

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to voter registration and absentee ballot applications which are submitted to a State or local election official on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.