52 U.S.C. § 20301: Federal responsibilities

The President shall designate the head of an executive department to have primary responsibility for Federal functions under this chapter. consult State and local election officials in carrying out this chapter, and ensure that such officials are aware of the requirements of this Act; prescribe an official post card form, containing both an absentee voter registration application and an absentee ballot application, for use by the States as required under section 20302(a)(4) of this title ; carry out section 20303 of this title with respect to the Federal write-in absentee ballot for absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters in general elections for Federal office; prescribe a suggested design for absentee ballot mailing envelopes; compile and distribute (A) descriptive material on State absentee registration and voting procedures, and (B) to the extent practicable, facts relating to specific elections, including dates, offices involved, and the text of ballot questions; not later than the end of each year after a Presidential election year, transmit to the President and the Congress a report on the effectiveness of assistance under this chapter, including a statistical analysis of uniformed services voter participation, a separate statistical analysis of overseas nonmilitary participation, and a description of State-Federal cooperation; prescribe a standard oath for use with any document under this chapter affirming that a material misstatement of fact in the completion of such a document may constitute grounds for a conviction for perjury; carry out section 20304 of this title with respect to the collection and delivery of marked absentee ballots of absent overseas uniformed services voters in elections for Federal office; to ensure that absent uniformed services voters who cast absentee ballots at locations or facilities under the jurisdiction of the Presidential designee are able to do so in a private and independent manner; and to protect the privacy of the contents of absentee ballots cast by absentee uniformed services voters and overseas voters while such ballots are in the possession or control of the Presidential designee; carry out section 20305 of this title with respect to Federal Voting Assistance Program Improvements; and for States to report data on the number of absentee ballots transmitted and received under section 20302(c) of this title and such other data as the Presidential designee determines appropriate; and for the Presidential designee to store the data reported. The head of each Government department, agency, or other entity shall, upon request of the Presidential designee, distribute balloting materials and otherwise cooperate in carrying out this chapter. As directed by the Presidential designee, the Administrator of General Services shall furnish official post card forms (prescribed under subsection (b)) and Federal write-in absentee ballots (prescribed under section 20303 of this title ). There are authorized to be appropriated to the Presidential designee such sums as are necessary for purposes of carrying out subsection (b)(10). should be aware of the importance of the ability of each uniformed services voter to exercise the right to vote; and each uniformed services voter receives the utmost consideration and cooperation when voting; each valid ballot cast by such a voter is duly counted; and all eligible American voters, regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, the language they speak, or the resources of the community in which they live, should have an equal opportunity to cast a vote and to have that vote counted. a member of a uniformed service (as defined in section 101(a)(5) of title 10 , United States Code) in active service; a member of the merchant marine (as defined in section 107 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1973ff–6 ) [now 52 U.S.C. 20310 ]); and a spouse or dependent of a member referred to in paragraph (1) or (2) who is qualified to vote.”