republic-os/legal/us/code/title-52/chapter-203/section-20310.md

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LegalText	52 U.S.C. § 20310	Definitions	us	united_states_code	code_section	52	VOTING AND ELECTIONS	203	REGISTRATION AND VOTING BY ABSENT UNIFORMED SERVICES VOTERS AND OVERSEAS VOTERS IN ELECTIONS FOR FEDERAL OFFICE	20310	52 U.S.C. § 20310	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc52@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t52/s20310	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-52/usc52.xml	3dcc281c3bc4ff03be7dc8ac23ee4ee8ee64443c3ebc944a5fef07ec771746aa	5600bd7cd3d8c74d24829ef745020a0f713944161d1d371581a369704150a87a	4ae7c572b109a177e87f1f639cb33462316e339efef59249f875c8d15a368a83	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code elections

52 U.S.C. § 20310 - Definitions

Text

As used in this chapter, the term—

(1) “absent uniformed services voter” means—

(A) a member of a uniformed service on active duty who, by reason of such active duty, is absent from the place of residence where the member is otherwise qualified to vote;

(B) a member of the merchant marine who, by reason of service in the merchant marine, is absent from the place of residence where the member is otherwise qualified to vote; and

(C) a spouse or dependent of a member referred to in subparagraph (A) or (B) who, by reason of the active duty or service of the member, is absent from the place of residence where the spouse or dependent is otherwise qualified to vote;

(2) “balloting materials” means official post card forms (prescribed under section 20301 of this title), Federal write-in absentee ballots (prescribed under section 20303 of this title), and any State balloting materials that, as determined by the Presidential designee, are essential to the carrying out of this chapter;

(3) “Federal office” means the office of President or Vice President, or of Senator or Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress;

(4) “member of the merchant marine” means an individual (other than a member of a uniformed service or an individual employed, enrolled, or maintained on the Great Lakes or the inland waterways)—

(A) employed as an officer or crew member of a vessel documented under the laws of the United States, or a vessel owned by the United States, or a vessel of foreign-flag registry under charter to or control of the United States; or

(B) enrolled with the United States for employment or training for employment, or maintained by the United States for emergency relief service, as an officer or crew member of any such vessel;

(5) “overseas voter” means—

(A) an absent uniformed services voter who, by reason of active duty or service is absent from the United States on the date of the election involved;

(B) a person who resides outside the United States and is qualified to vote in the last place in which the person was domiciled before leaving the United States; or

(C) a person who resides outside the United States and (but for such residence) would be qualified to vote in the last place in which the person was domiciled before leaving the United States.

(6) “State” means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa;

(7) “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; and

(8) “United States”, where used in the territorial sense, means the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.

(Pub. L. 99–410, title I, § 107, Aug. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 927.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 1973ff–6 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Functions For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.