Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 84 Part 1.djvu/374

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PUBLIC LAW 91-285-JUNE 22, 1970

[84

STAT.

"RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR VOTING

u s e prec. title 1.

Durational residency requirement, abolishment.

Absentee regisstration and balloting standards, establishment.

Registration.

"SEC. 202. (a) The Congress hereby finds that the imposition and application of the durational residency requirement as a precondition to voting for the offices of President and Vice President, and the lack of sufficient opportunities for absentee registration and absentee balloting in presidential elections— "(1) denies or abridges the inherent constitutional right of citizens to vote for their President and Vice President; "(2) denies or abridges the inherent constitutional right of citizens to enjoy their free movement across State lines; "(3) denies or abridges the privileges and immunities guaranteed to the citizens of each State under article IV, section 2, clause 1, of the Constitution; "(4) in some instances has the impermissible purpose or effect of denying citizens the right to vote for such officers because of the way they may vote; "(5) has the effect of denying to citizens the equality of civil rights, and due process and equal protection of the laws that are guaranteed to them under the fourteenth amendment; and "(6) does not bear a reasonable relationship to any compelling State interest in the conduct of presidential elections. " (b) Upon the basis of these findings. Congress declares that in order to secure and protect the above-stated rights of citizens under the Constitution, to enable citizens to better obtain the enjoyment of such rights, and to enforce the guarantees of the fourteenth amendment, it is necessary (1) to completely abolish the durational residency requirement as a precondition to voting for President and Vice President, and (2) to establish nationwide, uniform standards relative to absentee registration and absentee balloting in presidential elections. "(c) No citizen of the United States who is otherwise qualified to vote in any election for President and Vice President shall be denied the right to vote for electors for President and Vice President, or for President and Vice President, in such election because of the failure of such citizen to comply with any durational residency requirement of such State or political subdivision; nor shaH any citizen of the United States be denied the right to vote for electors for President and Vice President, or for President and Vice President, in such election because of the failure of such citizen to be physically present in such State or political subdivision at the time of such election, if such citizen shall have complied with the requirements prescribed by the law of such State or political subdivision providing for the casting of absentee ballots in such election. " (d) For the purposes of this section, each State shall provide by law for the registration or other means of qualification of all duly aualified residents of such State who apply, not later than thirty days immediately prior to any presidential election, for registration or qualification to vote for the choice of electors for President and Vice President or for President and Vice President in such election; and each State shall provide by law for the casting of absentee ballots for the choice of electors for President and Vice President, or for President and Vice President, by all duly qualified residents

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