UOCAVA Voter Registration ID and Domestic Residence Requirement

Liberty
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What is UOCAVA?

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act Overview

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act is commonly referred to as UOCAVA. UOCAVA citizens are U.S. citizens who are active members of the Uniformed Services, the Merchant Marine, and the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, their eligible family members, and U.S. citizens residing outside the United States. This Act provides the legal basis for these citizens’ absentee voting requirements for federal offices.

What concern is there with UOCAVA right now?

Currently there is no federal requirement for “eligable family members” of US Citizens to provide propf of residence or proof of citizenship beyond “good faith.”

Example, an adult child of a US Citizen files for a UOCAVA absentee ballot. Because the parent is a US Citizen, under birthright policy, the adult child may vote despite having never lived for any duration on domestic US soil.

Policy Proposal:

  1. All UOCAVA registrations will require a Social Security ID Number in order to register to vote and request an absentee ballot.

  2. All UOCAVA registrants will be required to have resided domestically on US soil for at least 6 months of their adult life.