115 STAT. 1276 PUBLIC LAW 107-107—DEC. 28, 2001 issues and programs to be reviewed during any management effectiveness review or inspection at the installation level an assessment of compliance with the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff et seq.) and with Department of Defense regulations regarding the Federal Voting Assistance Program. "(f) VOTING ASSISTANCE OFFICERS. — Voting assistance officers shall be appointed or assigned under Department of Defense regulations. Commanders at all levels are responsible for ensuring that unit voting officers are trained and equipped to provide information and assistance to members of the armed forces on voting matters. Performance evaluation reports pertaining to a member who has been assigned to serve as a voting assistance officer shall comment on the performance of the member as a voting assistance officer. "(g) DELIVERY OF MAIL FROM OVERSEAS PRECEDING FEDERAL ELECTIONS.—(1) During the four months preceding a general Federal election month, the Secretary of Defense shall periodically conduct surveys of all overseas locations and vessels at sea with military units responsible for collecting mail for return shipment to the United States and all port facilities in the United States and overseas where military-related mail is collected for shipment to overseas locations or to the United States. The purpose of each survey shall be to determine if voting materials are awaiting shipment at any such location and, if so, the length of time that such materials have been held at that location. During the fourth and third months before a general Federal election month, such surveys shall be conducted biweekly. During the second and first months before a general Federal election month, such surveys shall be conducted weekly. "(2) The Secretary shall ensure that voting materials are transmitted expeditiously by military postal authorities at all times. "(3) In this section, the term 'general Federal election month' means November in an even-numbered year.". (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item: "1566. Voting assistance: compliance assessments; assistance.". Deadline. (b) INITIAL REPORT.—The first report under section 1566(c)(3) 10 USC 1566 of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall °°*®- be submitted not later than March 31, 2003. SEC. 1603. GUARANTEE OF RESIDENCY FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL. Article VII of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940 (50 U.S.C. App. 590 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 50 USC app. 594. "SEC. 704. (a) For purposes of voting for any Federal office (as defined in section 301 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431)) or a State or local office, a person who is absent from a State in compliance with military or naval orders shall not, solely by reason of that absence— "(1) be deemed to have lost a residence or domicile in that State, without regard to whether or not the person intends to return to that State; "(2) be deemed to have acquired a residence or domicile in any other State; or "(3) be deemed to have become a resident in or a resident of any other State.
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