A. A covered voter who is registered to vote in this state may apply for a military-overseas ballot using either the regular absentee ballot application in use in the voter's jurisdiction under Chapter 7 (§ 24.2-700 et seq.) or the federal postcard application.

B. A covered voter who is not registered to vote in this state may use a federal postcard application to apply simultaneously to register to vote under § 24.2-457 and for a military-overseas ballot.

C. The electoral board shall ensure that the system described in subsection C of § 24.2-455 is capable of accepting the submission of both a federal postcard application and any other approved military-overseas ballot application sent to the appropriate election official. The voter may use the system or any other approved method to apply for a military-overseas ballot.

D. A covered voter may use the declaration accompanying a federal write-in absentee ballot as an application for a military-overseas ballot simultaneously with the submission of the federal write-in absentee ballot.

E. To receive the benefits of this chapter, a covered voter must inform the appropriate election official that the voter is a covered voter. Methods of informing the appropriate election official that a voter is a covered voter include:

1. The use of a federal postcard application or federal write-in absentee ballot;

2. The use of an overseas address on an approved voter registration application or ballot application; and

3. The inclusion on an approved voter registration application or ballot application of other information sufficient to identify the voter as a covered voter.

F. This chapter does not preclude a covered voter from voting under Chapter 7 (§ 24.2-700 et seq.).

2012, c. 353.