Military & Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act

The MOVE Act was signed into law October 2009 and has been in effect since the General Election on November 2, 2010. This law is designed to ensure that military voters serving on active duty away from their place of residence and citizens residing outside the United States are able to receive their absentee ballot and return it in time to be counted on Election Day.

Overview

The MOVE Act requires that states provide the following:

• A means of electronic communication for voters to request an absentee ballot
• Electronic transmission of blank (unvoted) ballots to the voter
• A way for voters to track the processing of their absentee ballots

What this means for you

As a Uniformed Service or Overseas voter, you may:

• Use the online Absentee Ballot Request Service to request your absentee ballot
• Retrieve a PDF version of your absentee ballot from our online service once your request has been processed
• Have your absentee ballot mailed to you if you do not wish to receive it electronically
• Receive automated email notifications as your request is submitted and processed

Please note: Only Uniformed Service and Overseas voters may receive their ballot electronically. All other voters will be mailed an absentee ballot by their municipal clerk.

Download a PDf version of the MOVE Act here.

Additional links:

Federal Voting Assistance Program

Overseas Voting Foundation

If you have questions related to voting as a Uniformed Service or Overseas Voter, please contact the Elections Division at UOCAVA.CEC@maine.gov or call 1-888-VOTESME.