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In WWII, the right of service men and government personnel serving outside of their home states to vote came into question. State-operated absentee-voting systems were inadequate because they did not reach every service member in every regiment around the world. State ballots were sometimes bulky and took up precious space in the cargo hold of a supplies plane or truck. They often did not reach the voters or home offices in time for the vote to count.

The 1943 Green-Luca bill was a proposed amendment to the laws already in place. It called for the establishment of a Federal War Ballot Commission. This commission would create and distribute federal ballots to those serving overseas. These ballots would only have the Presidential, Vice Presidential, and Congressional candidates, making them thinner and easier to transport. They would be sent as early as possible to ensure timely return. This bill was not adopted as it was presented. The heads of the Army and Navy departments thought it was a great idea, but many felt it took away rights that belonged to the states.

Therefore, in 1944, each state had to prove they had sufficient absentee-voting practices in place and ratify the revised bill by July of that year. In order for a service member to vote, he or she had to apply for a state ballot by September 1, 1944, and meet the voting requirements of his or her state. This made it possible for some states to maintain their practice of testing those who registered to vote. It was a big issue for the presidential election because there were those who wanted to ensure Franklin D. Roosevelt did not win for a fourth time. However, the votes of the service members did little to sway the outcome of the election.