Lessons from Improvements in Military and Overseas Voting

Abstract

This article considers recent efforts, including the federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (“MOVE”) Act and the Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act (“UMOVA”), to improve the voting experience of military and overseas voters. The article also identifies some broader implications of those efforts on various early and absentee voting methods increasingly available to other U.S. voters. Although the desire to assist military and overseas voters understandably is widespread, no single accommodation best suits all of these voters and it is not always easy to agree upon the best ways to maximize their ability to participate. After summarizing past efforts to accommodate these voters, the article uses three recent “controversies” in military and overseas voting in the 2000, 2008, and 2012 presidential elections to explore how these voting accommodations can work in practice and to highlight their connections to the larger field of election administration. The article concludes with some broader reflections about early and absentee voting generally.