As States Begin Mailing Absentee Ballots, DNC and Democrats Abroad Urge Americans Living Overseas To Make Their Voices Heard

As Americans living abroad begin to request their ballots, the DNC and Dems Abroad are ensuring that eligible American voters living in foreign countries have all the information they need to receive and fill out their ballots in the most important election of our lifetimes. It is not too late for Americans abroad to request their ballots. Americans abroad can head to votefromabroad.org to register to vote and learn more about their options for letting their voices be heard. 

From the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin there are approximately 1,625,136 people living abroad, including service members. In 2020, just 44,000 votes across Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin won Joe Biden the presidency. In fact, abroad voters made a notable difference in Georgia and Arizona during the 2020 presidential election. 

“Americans living overseas understand how important this election is to America’s standing on the world stage and our strength here at home,” said DNC Acting Co-Executive Director Roger Lau. “This election was always going to be close, and the future of our country will be decided by razor-thin margins. As states begin to mail out absentee ballots, it has never been more critical that every eligible American participate in the democratic process. Voters abroad can head to votefromabroad.org to turn the page on Donald Trump’s chaos and division, and usher in a new way forward with Vice President Harris, Governor Tim Walz, and Democrats up and down the ticket.” 

“For Americans abroad, the general election has begun,” said Martha McDevitt-Pugh, International Chair of Democrats Abroad. “Americans abroad can still register and we are in a sprint to register as many of them as we can before their state deadlines, and to help everyone who registered to send their ballot back on time. I’m so proud of the amazing team of Democrats Abroad volunteers who have hosted hundreds of in person and online voter registration and support events all across the world in the last two months. Together, we will again make votes from abroad the margin of victory for Harris-Walz and many others.”

Registering as an overseas voter provides voters federal protections under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) which are not available to those who register as regular absentee voters. These include:

  • Ballots sent 45-days in advance (earlier than most states’ absentee ballots)
  • The ability to receive ballots by email or online, regardless of voting state
  • The ability to submit a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB)