S. 3073: Military Voting Protection Act of 2008

110th Congress · introduced 2008-05-22 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2008-05-22 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Military Voting Protection Act of 2008

Plain summary

Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to direct the Secretary of Defense (the presidential designee) to establish procedures for: (1) collecting marked absentee ballots of military overseas voters in elections for federal office; and (2) delivering such ballots to the appropriate state election officials. Requires the designee to: (1) ensure that such ballots are delivered prior to the time established for the closing of the polls on the date of the election; and (2) carry out delivery requirements through a contract with one or more providers of express mail services, which shall include a mechanism for ballot tracking. Provides a special rule for voters in jurisdictions using post office boxes for the collection of such ballots. Prohibits states from refusing to accept such ballots on the grounds that they were not delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Authorizes appropriations. Directs the designee to: (1) provide outreach to absentee military voters on the procedures established under this Act; (2) report, after each general election, to the congressional defense and appropriations committees on the utilization of such procedures; and (3) submit a one-time report to such committees on the status of implementation of this Act. Prohibits states from refusing to accept voter registration and absentee ballot applications and write-in ballots for failure to meet nonessential requirements (requirements not clearly necessary to prevent fraud in the conduct of elections).

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate amended), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Military Voting Protection Act of 2008

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate amended)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] · 31 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), John Thune (R-SD), Mike Crapo (R-ID)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] reported raising $8.6 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate amended)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-110s3073.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/110/s>

Record fed-us-cong110-s3073 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong110 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong110