Thanks to Richard Winger of Ballot Access News for this post.
The U.S. Government initially said it wouldn’t bother to File a Brief in the U.S. Supreme Court, but then the U.S. Supreme Court Requested a Response. The Government says the Plaintiffs lack Standing.
But on August 29th, the U.S. Government Filed a Brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Segovia v U.S., 17-1463.
This is the Case in which the Seventh Circuit Upheld the System in which Residents of American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands may continue to Vote Absentee in Illinois, if they lived in Illinois before Moving to those U.S. Possessions.
But former Voters of Illinois who Move to Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico may not.
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), P.L. 99-410, 4 U.S.C. §§ 1973ff–1973ff-6, 39 U.S.C. § 3406, 18 U.S.C. §§ 608–609, is a United States Federal Law dealing with Elections and Voting Rights for United States Citizens Residing Overseas. The Act requires that all U.S. States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands allow certain U.S. Citizens to Register to Vote and to Vote by Absentee Ballot in Federal Elections.
The Act is Public Law 99-410 and was Signed into Law by President Ronald Reagan on August 28, 1986.
Groups of People covered under the Act are:
- Members of the Seven Uniformed Services
- Members of the U.S. Merchant Marines
- U.S. Citizens Employed by the Federal Government residing Outside the U.S.
- Eligible Family Members.
- Other Private U.S. Citizens Residing outside the United States.
The Act provides for an Emergency Back-Up Ballot, the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB), which can be Cast by Voters who "have made a timely application for but have not received their regular ballot from the state or territory, subject to certain conditions."
The Act does Not Apply to Non-Federal Elections, although some States and Territories also allow Citizens covered by UOCAVA to Register and Vote in State and Local Elections as well.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
