The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and its later amendment, the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE), are the cornerstone federal laws protecting the voting rights of U.S. citizens living abroad and members of the military.

UOCAVA (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act)
Federal law enacted in 1986 which ensures U.S. citizens can vote absentee in federal elections, including active members of the Armed Forces, Merchant Marine, Public Health Service, and NOAA; their eligible family members; and U.S. citizens living abroad. It establishes our right to request and receive absentee ballots and outlines states’ obligations to facilitate this voting.

MOVE Act (Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act)
A 2009 amendment to UOCAVA that strengthened these rights by adding key protections, most notably requiring states to send absentee ballots to UOCAVA voters at least 45 days before federal elections, and providing additional measures to make registration and ballot access easier for military and overseas voters.