On receipt of an application under section 777 777-A, the registrar shall register the applicant, unless it appears that he the applicant is not qualified. If he the applicant is not qualified, the registrar shall notify him the applicant of the reason why for rejection of the application.

1. Member specially designated. The registrar shall place the letter "S" on the voting list beside the name of each member of the Armed Forces uniformed service voter registered under this section.

2.__Overseas voter specially designated.__The registrar shall place the letter "O" on the voting list beside the name of each overseas voter registered under this section.

Sec. 30. 21-A MRSA §779, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 161, §6, is repealed.

Sec. 31. 21-A MRSA §780, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 161, §6, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

§780.__Absentee ballots; application

A uniformed service voter or an overseas voter may request an absentee ballot as provided in section 753-A or by submitting a federal application or form requesting an absentee ballot.__With respect to any election for federal office, a clerk may not refuse to accept or process any otherwise valid voter registration application or absentee ballot application submitted by a uniformed service voter or an overseas voter on the grounds that the voter submitted the application more than 3 months before the election for which the application will be used.__An application or request for an absentee ballot for a uniformed service voter or overseas voter that is accepted pursuant to section 753-A remains valid through the next 2 regularly scheduled general elections for federal office and entitles the voter to receive absentee ballots for all elections during that period.

Sec. 32. 21-A MRSA §780-A is enacted to read:

§780-A.__Use of blank write-in absentee ballot

Prior to the time when regular absentee ballots are available, if an applicant requests a blank write-in absentee ballot or indicates that it takes more than 6 weeks to receive and return mail to the applicant's location, the clerk shall send