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The Midterms

In August I wrote about how Americans living overseas could register to vote. Well, the deadline to do so before the 2022 midterm elections is upon us. With that in mind, I wanted to share a few thoughts, encourage you to register this weekend, and introduce you to Jon Carroll. Jon moved from Florida to Lisbon in March of this year and immediately got involved in Democrats Abroad in Portugal acting as the Get Out The Vote Coordinator.

Want to participate, click here.

This Weekend

Starting today there is a worldwide effort to register US voters for the upcoming midterm elections. US voters from Tokyo to Vienna can stop by voter assistance tables. There are also virtual voter registration drives taking place around the globe including one in Lisbon tomorrow, 17 September. If you have not already registered to vote from overseas now is the time. Under federal law, local election officials are required to send overseas voters their ballots 45 days before the election (November 8). If you successfully requested your ballot, you should receive it by September 24. Each state has its own rules regarding sending and receiving ballots. So once you get it, don’t delay – fill it out and return it immediately! 

I know some people that only vote every four years. But even if you never voted in a midterm election, this year is the year to make your voice heard. In under 60 days, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, 34 seats in the U.S. Senate, 46 state legislatures, and 36 governorships will be up for grabs.

Certifying the Vote

Of course, prior to 2020, I didn’t really think about what happened after I cast my vote. To me, it was pretty simple. You vote. They count them and then wha-la. But 2020 taught me it was a bit more complex than that. So I asked Jon exactly how overseas votes are counted:

States must count every valid ballot received before the election result may be certified. When you see a race “called” for a candidate shortly after the close of polls, that’s a provisional assessment that the remaining outstanding ballots are not numerically sufficient to alter the outcome. But the actual outcome cannot be certified until all ballots have been tallied--including ballots from overseas voters! - Jon Carroll

Jon went on to explain that it is critically important that you understand and follow the instructions.

Your ballot is your vote--when you get it, be sure to fill it out and return it right away. You don’t want your ballot to be rejected because you missed the deadline. And if any problems occur, you also want to make sure you have time to correct them. Each state has its own rules and procedures that you must follow to ensure your vote is deemed valid. Your ballot will contain the instructions and deadlines specific to your voting state. Please be sure to read and follow the instructions completely!  If you have any questions, contact your Local Election Official for clarification--email is usually best so you will have a written record. Don’t make guesses; if your ballot is rejected, you may not get second chance! You can find contact information at: www.votefromabroad.org/states (scroll down to “Find Your Election Office.”) And after you send in your voted ballot, be sure to verify that it was received and counted! You can contact your Local Election Official directly for confirmation. Also, many states have websites to track your ballot return, although the website information may not be as up-to-date as information from your Local Election Official. You can find contact information and, if available, links to state ballot tracking state websites at www.votefromabroad.org/states (scroll down to  “Where Is My Ballot?) — Jon Carroll

A Measly 4.7%

Did you know that Belgium and Luxembourg are among the 36 countries that require citizens to vote? In fact, they actually enforce compliance! And while a higher percentage of US voters have participated in recent years, just over 50% of eligible voters voted in the last mid-term. But according to the National Conference of State Legislators, only 4.7% of overseas voters participated in 2018.

The good news is more and more overseas voters are participating:

2020 was a record breaking year for Democrats Abroad, which nearly tripled its outreach to Americans abroad and doubled the vote from abroad. The unique challenges presented by the global COVID pandemic and international mail disruption make these achievements particularly significant. In 2020 approximately 1.8 million eligible American Voters living abroad received ballots (compared to 930,156 ballots received in 2016) and DOUBLED 2016 voter turnout abroad with over a million or more votes sent home from abroad!¹  — Jon Carroll

Midterms

As an unapologetic progressive, I want to encourage everyone to vote! While every election cycle is important this one seems especially critical.

• Kansas voters showed that you can make a difference (even when they try to hide an important vote in a mid-term primary and use confusing wording on the referendum.) Want to know how Portugal governs reproductive rights? Click here.

• Election deniers are winning primaries in critical Governor and Secretary of State races. (Funny how their primary elections are never fraudulent.) I can’t even imagine the chaos these people would cause in future elections. A country that once provided election observers to new, struggling democracies would be in need of such services from better functioning republics.

• While there is every indication the Democrats will lose the House, there is still a chance. Not only is it important to keep the Senate, but it is important to show the extreme fringes of the GOP that their excesses will not be tolerated.²

I realize that people don’t come to this blog to read my political rants and pleas. And I promise I will get back to all things Portugal next week. But for now…I must make one final plea. Your vote matters. And to vote this cycle, if you are living overseas, you must register today! Please go to www.votefromabroad.org. There you will find everything you need to register and get your FPAC. They are also there to answer your questions. It doesn’t matter if you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent…they are there to help. And you can even email Jon by clicking here.

Next Week: a town called Beja, and using a virtual (e) sim card when traveling.

1. While I’m pleased to see the overseas voter turnout doubled in 2020, keep in mind the US estimates that 9 million Americans (military and non-military) live overseas. If we do the math, we see that overseas voters are woefully under-represented.

2. Did you read that 150 Republicans are backing Governor Gretchen Whitmer in the upcoming election?