InsideGov
Congress · Laws

Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act

Public Law 99-410 · H.R. 4393 · 99th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Aug 28, 1986 · Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor: Rep. Allan Swift (D-WA-2)

Cosponsors (101): Rep. William Dickinson,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

Report a correction

Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act - Title I: Registration and Voting by Absent Uniformed Services Voters and Overseas Voters in Elections for Federal Office - Directs the President to designate the head of an executive department to have primary responsibility for the administrative functions of this Act, including: (1) prescribing an official postcard form containing a voter registration and an absentee ballot application; (2) prescribing an alternative write-in ballot for overseas voters; (3) prescribing designs for balloting materials; (4) distributing election materials; and (5) reporting to the Congress in even-numbered years on its effectiveness.

Provides for the distribution of official postcards and ballots.

Sets forth State responsibilities in carrying out provisions of this Act.

Authorizes the use of the alternative write-in ballots in lieu of absentee ballots under specified circumstances.

Sets forth recommendations to the States to afford maximum access to the polls by absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters.

Title II: Postal, Criminal, and General Provisions - Requires that balloting materials under this Act be carried by the Post Office expeditiously and free of postage. Authorizes the mailing of such materials at any post office established outside the United States.

Sets forth criminal penalties for violations of this Act.

Repeals the Federal Voting Assistance Act of 1955 and the Overseas Citizens Voting Rights Act of 1975.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.

  1. Aug 28, 1986Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-410.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Aug 21, 1986PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Aug 16, 1986FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  5. Aug 12, 1986FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  6. FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
  7. Aug 7, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Committee on House Administration
  8. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Committee on House Administration
  9. Jul 16, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Elections Subcommittee of the House Committee on House Administration
  10. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Elections Subcommittee of the House Committee on House Administration
  11. Mar 18, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Elections Subcommittee of the House Committee on House Administration
  12. Mar 12, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Committee on House Administration
  13. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

Report a correction

Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.