SENTRI Act

Safeguarding Elections for our Nation's Troops through Reforms and Improvements Act or the SENTRI Act - Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for federal office held in November 2014 and thereafter, to:

• require the chief election official of a state to report, not later than 43 days before any federal election held in the state, on the number of absentee ballots validly requested by absent uniformed services and overseas voters whose requests were received by the 46th day before the election, and whether such ballots were timely transmitted;
• eliminate the hardship waiver allowed for states from the requirement to provide absent members of the uniformed services and overseas voters abstentee ballots 45 days prior to an election;
• require express delivery of an absentee ballot that is not timely transmitted;
• allow an absentee voter to use a single abstentee ballot application for subsequent elections;
• make such Act applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
• modify reporting requirements to require a biennial report on the effectiveness of the federal voting assistance program; and
• require the Comptroller General (GAO) to review and report on such biennial reports for elections occurring in calendar years 2014 through 2020.

Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Secretary of each military department, to: (1) affirmatively offer, on an annual basis, each member of the Armed Forces on active duty (other than active duty for training) the opportunity, through an online system, to register to vote in a federal election, update voter registration information, or request an absentee ballot; (2) implement an online system for such purpose; and (3) implement a system to track a change of address or duty status of a member of the Armed Forces on active duty to provide an automatic notice to such member of voter registration requirements.

Repeals the demonstration project allowing absent members of the uniformed services to vote in the regularly scheduled general election for federal office for November 2002 through an electronic voting system.

Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to permit dependents of an absent member of the Armed Forces to retain residency status in their state for voting purposes.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov