S.F. No. 297 allows National Guard members to use the special Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) voting procedures, allows children of U.S. citizens who have not resided in the U.S. to use UOCAVA voting procedures, and corrects outdated cross-references.

Section 1 deletes an obsolete cross-reference in federal law and replaces it with the current cross-reference.  A cross-reference is added to state law that defines “military forces.”  By adding this cross-reference, National Guard members are allowed to use the UOCAVA procedures for voting.

Section 2 deletes an obsolete cross-reference in federal law and replaces it with the current cross-reference.

Section 3 provides that children who have not resided in the U.S. may vote in Minnesota if their parent maintained residence in Minnesota for at least 20 days immediately prior to leaving the U.S. and if they meet all other voter eligibility requirements.

Section 4 deletes the provision that states that a Social Security number qualifies as a person’s military identification number; this language is no longer needed because military members are not required to use a Social Security number on an absentee ballot application. A conforming change is made to be consistent with section 3.

Section 5 makes a conforming change to be consistent with section 3.

Section 6 deletes an obsolete cross-reference in federal law and replaces it with the current cross-reference.

ACS/syl