Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 60 Part 1.djvu/123

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PUBLIC LAWS-CHS. 141, 142-APR. 18, 19, 1946 34U.S.C.i691; Supp. V, § 691. 34 U.S. C. §691-1 . 34 U.S. C., Supp.V §§ 151, 691. Ante, p. 95. April 19, 1946 [H. R . 5644] [Public Law 348] Servicemen's voting act, amendments. 58 Stat. 136 . 50 U. S. C., Supp. V, §§ 321-354 . Enactment of ap- propriate legislation. Use of post cards. Post,p . 99. Waiver of registra- tion. Persons discharged too late to register. emergency exists, to increase the authorized enlisted strength of the Navy to one hundred and ninety-one thousand men". (i) That portion of the fourth sentence after the heading "Marine Corps. Pay, Marine Corps;" in chapter 228, Forty-first Statutes at Large, page 812, which appears at page 830 and which reads as fol- lows: "The authorized enlisted strength of the active list of the Marine Corps is hereby permanently established at twenty-seven thousand four hundred, distribution in the various grades to be made in the same proportion as provided under existing law: Provided, That". (j) Section 2 and subsection (d) of section 15 of chapter 598, Fifty- second Statutes at Large, page 944, at pages 944 and 952, respectively. (k) Chapter 74, Fifty-fifth Statutes at Large, page 145, as amended by chapter 1, Fifty-sixth Statutes at Large, page 3. Approved April 18, 1946. [CHAPTER 142] AN ACT To facilitate voting by members of the armed forces and certain others absent from the place of their residence, and to amend Public Law 712, Seventy- seventh Congress, as amended. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Public Law 712, Seventy-seventh Congress, as amended, is amended by striking out titles II, III, and IV, and inserting in lieu thereof the following: "TITLE II "R ECOMMENDATIONS TO THE STATES "SEC. 201. The Congress hereby expresses itself as favoring, and recommends to the several States the immediate enactment of, appropriate legislation to enable each person absent from the place of his residence and serving in the armed forces of the United States or in the merchant marine of the United States, or who is a civilian outside the United States officially attached to and serving with the armed forces of the United States, who is eligible to vote in any election district or precinct, to vote by absentee ballot in any primary, special, or general election held in his election district or precinct; and in order to afford ample opportunity for such persons to vote for Federal, State, and local officials and to utilize the absentee balloting procedures of the various States to the greatest extent pos- sible, the following provisions are enacted. "SEC. 202. (a) It is recommended that the several States, in order to avoid expense, duplication of effort, and loss of time, shall accept, as applications for absentee ballots under such States' absentee balloting laws, as applications for registration under such States' election laws, and as sources of information to implement State absentee balloting laws, the form of post card (when duly executed by a person to whom this title is applicable) provided pursuant to section 209 (a) of this title, as amended, or pursuant to section 203 of this title prior to its amendment. "(b) It is recommended that the several States waive registration of the persons to whom this title is applicable who, by reason of their service, have been deprived of an opportunity to register. "(c) It is recommended that the States make provision for persons eligible to register and qualified to vote, who have been honorably discharged from the armed forces too late to register at the time 96 [60 STAT.