52 USC 20311 – Technology pilot program
(a) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Absent uniformed services voter
The term “absent uniformed services voter” has the meaning given such term in section 107(1) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff-6(1)) [now 52 U.S.C. 20310(1)].
(2) Overseas voter
The term “overseas voter” has the meaning given such term in section 107(5) of such Act [52 U.S.C. 20310(5)].
(3) Presidential designee
The term “Presidential designee” means the individual designated under section 101(a) of such Act [52 U.S.C. 20301(a)].
(b) Establishment
(1) In general
The Presidential designee may establish 1 or more pilot programs under which the feasibility of new election technology is tested for the benefit of absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters claiming rights under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff et seq.) [now 52 U.S.C. 20301 et seq.].
(2) Design and conduct
The design and conduct of a pilot program established under this subsection—
(A) shall be at the discretion of the Presidential designee; and
(B) shall not conflict with or substitute for existing laws, regulations, or procedures with respect to the participation of absent uniformed services voters and military voters in elections for Federal office.
(c) Considerations
Terms Used In 52 USC 20311
- Federal office: means the office of President or Vice President, or of Senator or Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress. See 52 USC 20310
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See 1 USC 8
- State: means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. See 52 USC 20310
- uniformed services: means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, and the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See 52 USC 20310
In conducting a pilot program established under subsection (b), the Presidential designee may consider the following issues:
(1) The transmission of electronic voting material across military networks.
(2) Virtual private networks, cryptographic voting systems, centrally controlled voting stations, and other information security techniques.
(3) The transmission of ballot representations and scanned pictures in a secure manner.
(4) Capturing, retaining, and comparing electronic and physical ballot representations.
(5) Utilization of voting stations at military bases.
(6) Document delivery and upload systems.
(7) The functional effectiveness of the application or adoption of the pilot program to operational environments, taking into account environmental and logistical obstacles and State procedures.
(d) Reports
The Presidential designee shall submit to Congress reports on the progress and outcomes of any pilot program conducted under this subsection, together with recommendations—
(1) for the conduct of additional pilot programs under this section; and
(2) for such legislation and administrative action as the Presidential designee determines appropriate.
(e) Technical assistance
(1) In general
The Election Assistance Commission and the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall provide the Presidential designee with best practices or standards in accordance with electronic absentee voting guidelines established under the first sentence of section 1604(a)(2) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (Public Law 107-107; 115 Stat. 1277; 42 U.S.C. 1973ff note [now 52 U.S.C. 20301 note]), as amended by section 567 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (Public Law 108-375; 118 Stat. 1919) to support the pilot program or programs.
(2) Report
In the case in which the Election Assistance Commission has not established electronic absentee voting guidelines under such section 1604(a)(2), as so amended, by not later than 180 days after October 28, 2009, the Election Assistance Commission shall submit to the relevant committees of Congress a report containing the following information:
(A) The reasons such guidelines have not been established as of such date.
(B) A detailed timeline for the establishment of such guidelines.
(C) A detailed explanation of the Commission’s actions in establishing such guidelines since October 28, 2004.
(3) Relevant committees of Congress defined
In this subsection, the term “relevant committees of Congress” means—
(A) the Committees on Appropriations, Armed Services, and Rules and Administration of the Senate; and
(B) the Committees on Appropriations, Armed Services, and House Administration of the House of Representatives.
(f) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.