LegislationUS

MOVE Act

2009 federal law that set the 45-day military and overseas ballot transmission deadline inside UOCAVA.

Last refreshed: 15 September 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Timeline for MOVE Act

#20 1 Oct

Mentioned in: DNC sues Pentagon over overseas forms

US Midterms 2026

#17 15 Sept

Mentioned in: Georgia mails its first overseas ballots

US Midterms 2026

View full timeline →

Background

The MOVE Act, formally the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act, is Subtitle H of the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84), enacted in 2009. It amended the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to require states to transmit a validly requested absentee ballot to military and overseas voters no later than 45 days before a federal election. For the 3 November 2026 general election that deadline falls on Saturday 19 September 2026; Michigan's elections bureau has told clerks the date does not roll forward to the following Monday. PROVISIONAL SEED: replace on next dossier synthesis.

Common Questions

What deadline does the MOVE Act set for military and overseas ballots?

States must transmit a validly requested absentee ballot to military and overseas voters no later than 45 days before a federal election; for 3 November 2026 that falls on Saturday 19 September 2026.Source: Public Law 111-84, Subtitle H, Section 579

When was the MOVE Act passed?

It was enacted in 2009 as Subtitle H of the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, Public Law 111-84.Source: Public Law 111-84, govinfo.gov

Does the MOVE Act's ballot deadline move if it falls on a weekend?

No. Michigan's bureau of elections told county clerks on 31 August 2026 that the 45-day deadline does not roll forward to the following Monday the way some other election deadlines do.Source: Michigan Secretary of State bureau of elections bulletin, 31 August 2026 (via update 710 footnote 11)

How the World Sees Them

Senate Majority PAC, spokesperson Lauren French

watching really closely

Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State

Voters right now, they are just energized

Sam Hayes, North Carolina State Board of Elections

one ineligible registrant is still one too many.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune

shouldn't be paid for with taxpayer dollars

The White House and Donald Trump

clearly not political

American Civil Liberties Union, counsel for the plaintiffs in Common Cause v. Department of Justice

vacates a policy that has removed United States citizens from the voter rolls in their home states

Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, US District Court for the District of Columbia

The challenged policy represents the federal government's attempt to decide who gets to vote.

Judge Mary Geiger Lewis, US District Court for the District of South Carolina

Concern is understandable, but concern is not concreteness.

Judge Victoria Marie Calvert, US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

The CRA does not preempt Georgia's voter privacy law

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 15 September 2026. Editorial standards.