Public Law 84–296

Members of the Armed Forces while in the active service, and their spouses and dependents.

Members of the merchant marine of the United States, and their spouses and dependents.

Civilian employees of the United States in all categories serving outside the territorial limits of the several States of the United States and the District of Columbia and their spouses and dependents when residing with or accompanying them, whether or not the employee is subject to the civil-service laws and the Classification Act

63 Stat. 954.

5 USC 1071 note.

of 1949, and whether or not paid from funds appropriated by the Congress.

Members of religious groups or welfare agencies assisting members of the Armed Forces, who are officially attached to and serving with the Armed Forces, and their spouses and dependents.

accept as applications for absentee ballots under such States. absentee balloting laws, as applications for registration under such States’ election laws, and as sources of information to implement State absentee balloting laws, the form of post card (when duly executed by a person covered by section 101 of this Act) provided pursuant to this Act;

waive registration of persons covered by section 101 of this Act, who, by reason of their service, have been deprived of an opportunity to register;

accept, the post card application provided pursuant to this Act. as a simultaneous application for registration and for ballot;

if a special application is required for registration by mail, provide that the necessary forms will be sent with the absentee ballot and may be returned with it;

make provision for persons eligible to register and qualified to vote, who have been honorably discharged from the Armed Forces, or have terminated their service or employment, too late to register at the time when, and at the place where, registration is required, to vote at the election next ensuing after such discharge or termination.

authorize and instruct the State or local election officials, upon receipt of the post card application provided pursuant to this Act, to mail immediately to the applicant a ballot, instructions for voting and returning the ballot, and a self-addressed envelope;

provide that there be printed across the face of each envelope in which a ballot is sent two parallel horizontal red bars, each one-quarter inch wide, extending from one side of the envelope to the other side, with an intervening space of one-quarter inch, the top bar to be one and one-quarter inches from the top of the envelope, and with the words “Official Election Balloting Material—via Air Mail”, or similar language, between the bars: that there be printed in the upper right corner of each such envelope, in a box, the words “Free of U. S. Postage, Including Air Mail”; that all printing on the face of each such envelope be in red; and that there be printed in red in the upper left corner of each State ballot envelope an appropriate inscription or blanks for return address of sender;

provide that the gummed flap of the State envelope supplied for the return of the ballot be separated by a wax paper or other appropriate protective insert from the remaining balloting material and that there be included in,State voting instructions a procedure to be followed by absentee voters, such as notation of the facts on the back of the envelope duly signed by the voter and witnessing officer, in instances of adhesion of the balloting material;

reduce in size and weight of paper, as much as possible, envelopes, ballots, and instructions for voting procedure;

for the purposes of this Act, authorized oaths required by State law to be administered and attested by any commissioned officer in the active service of the Armed Forces, or any member of the merchant marine of the United States designated for this purpose by the Secretary of Commerce, or any civilian official empowered by State or Federal law to administer oaths;

include in State voting instructions express information concerning the type or types of writing instruments which may be used to mark the absentee ballot, preferably pen or indelible pencil; and

provide that absentee ballots will be available for mailing to the applicant as soon as practicable before the last date on which such ballot will he counted.

the Attorney General to cooperate and advise with the Council of State Governments in the formulation of drafts of State legislation designed to implement the recommendations for State action contained in this Act;

the Administrator of General Services to cause to be printed and distributed post cards for use in accordance with the provisions of this Act, Such post cards shall, wherever practicable and compatible with other operations, be made available by the department or agency concerned to persons to whom this Act is applicable for use at any general election at which electors for President and Vice President or Senators and Representatives are to be voted for. For use in such elections post cards shall be made available outside the territorial limits of the United States not later than August 15 prior to the election and within the territorial limits of the United States not later than September 15 prior to the election. To the extent practicable and compatible with other operations, post cards shall also be made available at appropriate times to such persons for use in other general, primary, and special elections; and

the Postmaster General and the heads of the departments and agencies concerned, where practicable and compatible with their operations, to facilitate the transmission of balloting material to and from persons to whom this Act is applicable. Ballots executed outside the United States by persons to whom this Act is applicable shall be returned by priority airmail wherever practicable, and such mail may be segregated from other forms of mail and placed in special bags marked with special tags printed and distributed by the Postmaster General for this purpose.

The cards shall be approximately nine and one-half by four and one-eighth inches in size.

Upon one side., perpendicular to the long dimension of the card, there shall be printed in black type the following:

Upon the other side of the card there shall be printed in red type the following:

The term “Armed Forces” means the uniformed services as defined in section 102 of the Career Compensation Act of 1949

37 USC 231.

(63 Stat. 804), as amended.

The term “members of the merchant marine of the United States” means persons (other than members of the Armed Forces) employed as officers or members of crews of vessels documented under the laws of the United States, or of vessels owned by the United States, or of vessels of foreign-flag registry under charter to or control of the United States, and persons (other than members of the Armed Forces) enrolled with the United States for employment, or for training for employment, or maintained by the United States for emergency relief service, as officers or members of crews of any such vessels; but does not include persons so employed, or enrolled for such employment or for training for such employment, or maintained for such emergency relief service, on the Great Lakes or the Inland waterways.

The term “dependent” means any person who is in fact a dependent.