---
kind: "section"
citation: "52 U.S.C. § 20301a"
title: "52"
title_heading: "Voting and Elections"
number: "20301a"
heading: "Duties of Secretary under Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/52/20301a"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Voting Assistance and Election Administration"
  - "Chapter 203 — Registration and Voting by Absent Uniformed Services Voters and Overseas Voters in Elections for Federal Office"
---

# §20301a. Duties of Secretary under Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act

- (a) **Ensuring ability of absent uniformed services voters serving at diplomatic and consular posts to receive and transmit balloting materials—** In carrying out the Secretary’s duties as the Presidential designee under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act ([52 U.S.C. 20301](/usc/52/20301.md) et seq.), the Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary, feasible, and practical to ensure that a [uniformed services](/usc/52/20310.md?p=7) voter under such Act who is absent from the United States by reason of active duty or service at a diplomatic and consular post of the United States is able to receive and transmit [balloting materials](/usc/52/20310.md?p=2) in the same manner and with the same rights and protections as a [uniformed services](/usc/52/20310.md?p=7) voter under such Act who is absent from the United States by reason of active duty or service at a military installation.
- (b) **Effective date—** This section shall apply with respect to [elections](/usc/52/20502.md?p=1) held on or after January 1, 2021.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title X, § 1086, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3877.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 99–410, Aug. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 924, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

### Codification

Section was enacted as part of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, and not as part of title I of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act which comprises this chapter.