H.R. 4851: Proving Residency for Overseas Voter Eligibility Act

This bill, titled the Proving Residency for Overseas Voter Eligibility Act, aims to revise the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act by introducing a new requirement for nonmilitary overseas voters who wish to receive an absentee ballot. Here are the key points of the bill:

Requirement for Evidence of Residence

Under this bill, a state may not send an absentee ballot to an overseas voter unless the voter provides a verifiable mailing address within the state. This address must be either:

• The voter's current residence in the state, or
• The current residence of a spouse, parent, or legal guardian of the voter.

Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot

Similar to the requirements for regular absentee ballots, the bill states that a Federal write-in absentee ballot cannot be transmitted to an overseas voter unless the same residence address information is provided.

Voting in D.C. Elections

If an overseas voter does not provide the required residence information to receive an absentee ballot for their state election, the bill allows them to vote in the District of Columbia in a coinciding federal election. In such a case, these voters would be considered residents of D.C. for that specific election.

Exclusion for Military Voters

This requirement does not apply to voters who are members of the uniformed services or are otherwise considered absent uniformed services voters.

Effective Date

The provisions of this bill would become applicable to elections held in 2026 and in any subsequent years.

Relevant Companies

None found.