1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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3 SENATE BILL 1345 By: Stanley
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to soldiers and sailors; amending 26
7 O.S. 2021, Section 14-137, which relates to the
8 Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act; broadening
8 certain definitions; amending 72 O.S. 2021, Section
9 2, which relates to definitions; modifying
9 definitions; updating statutory references; and
10 providing an effective date.
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13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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14 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, Section 14-137, is
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15 amended to read as follows:
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16 As used in the Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act:
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17 1. “Covered voter” means:
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18 a. a uniformed-service voter or an overseas voter who is
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19 registered to vote in this state,
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20 b. a uniformed-service voter defined in subparagraph a of
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21 paragraph 9 of this section, whose voting residence is
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22 in this state and who otherwise satisfies this state’s
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23 voter eligibility requirements,
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1 c. an overseas voter who, before leaving the United
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2 States, was last eligible to vote in this state and,
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3 except for a state residency requirement, otherwise
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4 satisfies this state’s voter eligibility requirements,
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5 d. an overseas voter who, before leaving the United
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6 States, would have been last eligible to vote in this
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7 state had the voter then been of voting age and,
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8 except for a state residency requirement, otherwise
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9 satisfies this state’s voter eligibility requirements,
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10 or
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11 e. an overseas voter who was born outside the United
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12 States, is not described in subparagraph c or d of
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13 this paragraph, and, except for a state residency
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14 requirement, otherwise satisfies this state’s voter
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15 eligibility requirements, if:
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16 (1) the last place where a parent or legal guardian
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17 of the voter was, or under this act the Uniform
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18 Military and Overseas Voters Act would have been,
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19 eligible to vote before leaving the United States
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20 is within this state, and
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21 (2) the voter has not previously registered to vote
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22 in any other state;
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23 2. “Dependent” means an individual recognized as a dependent by
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24 a uniformed service;
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1 3. “Federal postcard application” means the application
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2 prescribed under Section 101(b)(2) of the Uniformed and Overseas
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3 Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 42 U.S.C. Section 1973ff(b)(2);
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4 4. “Federal write-in absentee ballot” means the ballot
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5 described in Section 103 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens
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6 Absentee Voting Act, 42 U.S.C. Section 1973ff-2;
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7 5. “Military-overseas ballot” means:
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8 a. a federal write-in absentee ballot,
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9 b. a ballot specifically prepared or distributed for use
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10 by a covered voter in accordance with this act Section
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11 14-136 et seq. of this title, or
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12 c. a ballot cast by a covered voter in accordance with
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13 this act the Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act;
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14 6. “Overseas voter” means a United States citizen who is
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15 outside the United States;
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16 7. “State” means a state of the United States, the District of
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17 Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any
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18 territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the
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19 United States;
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20 8. “Uniformed service” means:
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21 a. active and reserve components of the Army, Navy, Air
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22 Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, or Coast Guard of
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23 the United States,
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1 b. the Merchant Marine, the commissioned corps of the
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2 Public Health Service, or the commissioned corps of
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3 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of
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4 the United States, or
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5 c. the National Guard and state militia;
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6 9. “Uniformed-service voter” means an individual who is
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7 qualified to vote and is:
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8 a. a member of the active or reserve components of the
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9 Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, or
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10 Coast Guard of the United States who is on active
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11 duty,
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12 b. a member of the Merchant Marine, the commissioned
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13 corps of the Public Health Service, or the
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14 commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and
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15 Atmospheric Administration of the United States,
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16 c. a member on activated status of the National Guard or
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17 state militia, or
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18 d. a spouse or dependent of a member referred to in this
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19 paragraph; and
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20 10. “United States”, used in the territorial sense, means the
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21 several states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United
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22 States Virgin Islands, and any territory or insular possession
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23 subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
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1 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 72 O.S. 2021, Section 2, is
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2 amended to read as follows:
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3 The words “ex-service person”, “veteran”, or “war veteran” as
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4 used in this act title shall be construed to mean any person who:
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5 1. Has served the full obligation for active duty, Reserve or
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6 National Guard service in the military uniformed service as defined
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7 in Section 14-137 of Title 26 of the Oklahoma Statutes, or received
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8 an early discharge for a medical condition, hardship, or reduction
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9 in force; and
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10 2. Has been separated or discharged from such service honorably
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11 or under honorable conditions.
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12 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2024.
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14 59-2-2361 DC 12/14/2023 6:07:23 PM
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