States Make Progress Serving Military and Overseas Voters

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Projects: Election Initiatives
States Make Progress Serving Military and Overseas Voters

A report from the Pew Center on the States finds that 47 states and the District of Columbia enacted laws in the past two years to protect the voting rights of military and overseas citizens.

Specifically, the report notes:

  • Thirty-eight states and the District have laws or rules meeting or exceeding the federal requirement that ballots for military and overseas voters be sent at least 45 days before an election. Eight additional states changed their primary dates to accommodate the requirement.
  • All 50 states and the District allow military and overseas voters to receive blank ballots electronically.
  • Forty-six states and the District do not require either notarization or witnesses for ballots for military and overseas voters.
  • Thirty-four states and the District mandate Federal Write-in Absentee Ballots be used as a backup ballot for all elections, including state and local.

View the full report to learn more about how states are improving voting for our nation’s military personnel and other U.S. citizens abroad.

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