§ 20301. Federal responsibilities

1,853 words·~8 min read·/usc/title-52/section-20301

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

(a)Presidential designee The President shall designate the head of an executive department to have primary responsibility for Federal functions under this chapter.

(b)Duties of Presidential designee The Presidential designee shall—

(1)consult State and local election officials in carrying out this chapter, and ensure that such officials are aware of the requirements of this Act;

(2)prescribe an official post card form, containing both an absentee voter registration application and an absentee ballot application, for use by the States as required under section 20302(a)(4) of this title;

(3)carry out section 20303 of this title with respect to the Federal write-in absentee ballot for absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters in general elections for Federal office;

(4)prescribe a suggested design for absentee ballot mailing envelopes;

(5)compile and distribute

(A)descriptive material on State absentee registration and voting procedures, and

(B)to the extent practicable, facts relating to specific elections, including dates, offices involved, and the text of ballot questions;

(6)not later than the end of each year after a Presidential election year, transmit to the President and the Congress a report on the effectiveness of assistance under this chapter, including a statistical analysis of uniformed services voter participation, a separate statistical analysis of overseas nonmilitary participation, and a description of State-Federal cooperation;

(7)prescribe a standard oath for use with any document under this chapter affirming that a material misstatement of fact in the completion of such a document may constitute grounds for a conviction for perjury;

(8)carry out section 20304 of this title with respect to the collection and delivery of marked absentee ballots of absent overseas uniformed services voters in elections for Federal office;

(9)to the greatest extent practicable, take such actions as may be necessary—

(A)to ensure that absent uniformed services voters who cast absentee ballots at locations or facilities under the jurisdiction of the Presidential designee are able to do so in a private and independent manner; and

(B)to protect the privacy of the contents of absentee ballots cast by absentee uniformed services voters and overseas voters while such ballots are in the possession or control of the Presidential designee;

(10)carry out section 20305 of this title with respect to Federal Voting Assistance Program Improvements; and

(11)working with the Election Assistance Commission and the chief State election official of each State, develop standards—

(A)for States to report data on the number of absentee ballots transmitted and received under section 20302(c) of this title and such other data as the Presidential designee determines appropriate; and

(B)for the Presidential designee to store the data reported.

(c)Duties of other Federal officials

(1)In general The head of each Government department, agency, or other entity shall, upon request of the Presidential designee, distribute balloting materials and otherwise cooperate in carrying out this chapter.

(2)Administrator of General Services As directed by the Presidential designee, the Administrator of General Services shall furnish official post card forms (prescribed under subsection (b)) and Federal write-in absentee ballots (prescribed under section 20303 of this title).

(d)Authorization of appropriations for carrying out Federal Voting Assistance Program Improvements There are authorized to be appropriated to the Presidential designee such sums as are necessary for purposes of carrying out subsection (b)(10).

(Pub. L. 99–410, title I, § 101, Aug. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 924; Pub. L. 105–277, div. G, title XXII, § 2219(c), Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–817; Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title XVI, § 1606(a)(2), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1279; Pub. L. 107–252, title VII, § 705(a), (b)(1), (c), Oct. 29, 2002, 116 Stat. 1724, 1725; Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title V, § 566(a), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1919; Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title V, §§ 580(b), (e), 583(a)(2), 584(a), 585(b)(1), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2325, 2328, 2330, 2331; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title X, § 1075(d)(4), (5), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4372.)