This is a midterm election year — all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 of the 100 Senate seats, and 39 gubernatorial seats are up for grabs in November. U.S. citizens have the right to vote in primary and general elections, no matter where in the world they live! If you're a U.S. citizen, dual-national, or will be 18 on November 8, 2022, you have the right to vote from abroad in US elections — including in the November 2022 midterms!

As a U.S. citizen, you can register to vote from abroad while living, working, or traveling overseas by submitting one form — the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). It doesn't matter if you were registered to vote before you left the U.S., how long you’ve lived outside the U.S., or if you've never resided in the U.S. at all. You have the right to vote!

The U.S. State Department recommends, “all U.S. citizens living abroad complete and submit a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) annually, to ensure you remain on your state’s voter rolls and to ensure your local election office has your up-to-date contact information.” Vote From Abroad provides all the information, forms, and support help in one place to make voting easy!

📌  Please note that there is NO IN-PERSON VOTING for the November midterm elections! 📌

✭ ✭ ✭ In 2022, these States must mail in the ballot. Vote as soon as you get your ballot! Don't wait to return your ballot! ✭ ✭ ✭

 Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Go to www.votefromabroad.org/states for specific  details

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What's covered on this page: 

1. Registering to vote and requesting your ballot

2. Confirming your request has been accepted

3. Receiving your ballot

4. Oct 1 and the ballot hasn’t arrived? 

5. Voting your ballot

6. Returning your ballot

7. Checking twice to prevent mistakes

8. Confirming your ballot's arrival

9. What to do if you encounter difficulties

10. Getting your "I Voted from Abroad" Stickers 

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1. Registering to vote and requesting your ballot for the 2022 midterm elections

The first step is to request your ballot, and if need be, register to vote from abroad. You should do this every election year to ensure you remain on your state’s overseas voter rolls and to ensure your local election office has your up-to-date contact information. It’s important to register as an absentee voter from abroad because the ballots of US citizens voting from abroad have special protections and are different from the standard absentee ballot. 

Go to votefromabroad.org to fill out your Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) absentee ballot request — it takes 5-10 minutes! If you're not registered to vote, the FPCA also serves as a voter registration form. Choose the option to receive ballots by email.

The second step is to submit the FPCA absentee ballot request form to your local election office in the United States. Most states allow you to submit your FPCA directly from votefromabroad.org without the need to print it out. But some states require that you submit your completed form by email attachment, fax, or postal mail. State deadlines and submission methods can be found here.

If you have any questions while filling out your request form, go to the Vote from Abroad FAQ section or type your question in the website's chatbox (red circle in the bottom right-hand corner of each screen). Or you can email us at [email protected] 

2. Confirming your request has been accepted  ✅

After submitting your FPCA absentee ballot request form, call or email your Local Election Official (LEO) to confirm they have received it and will be sending your ballot. Your LEO's contact information is listed in the instructions generated when you fill out your FPCA form at Vote from Abroad. You can also look up their contact info here. 

Most states provide a website where you can verify your voter status. To find your state's website, click here and scroll down to “Where Is My Ballot?"

3. Receiving your ballot 📬

Your overseas absentee ballot is not your standard absentee ballot back home! Thanks to the MOVE Act, all states must send FPCA-requested  absentee ballots to overseas voters no later than 45 days before a federal election — this year that’s September 24, 2022. 

And, if requested, all states must send overseas voters their ballot by email.

You don't need to wait for ballots to arrive on September 24. If you're worried your ballot won't arrive on time, send in a Backup Ballot NOW. The Backup Ballot (Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot or FWAB) is specifically for overseas voters who are concerned they won't receive their official ballot in time to return it by the deadline. All details about the Backup Ballot can be found here.

4. Your ballot hasn’t arrived? 📭

Check your spam folder. Still no ballot? Contact your local election official here and confirm they’ve sent your ballot to you. Go to votefromabroad.org if you need to send in a new FPCA absentee ballot request form.

If you haven’t received your ballot by October 1 and your state requires postal mail return, we recommend you send in a Backup Ballot to make sure your vote gets to your state in time. All details about the Backup Ballot can be found here.

5. Voting your ballot 🗳️

It’s easy to get informed about candidates, ballot initiatives, and judicial candidates and important to vote your ballot completely. State and local races are critical in 2022! 

The simplest way is to vote for Democrats straight down the ballot. Some elected positions do not list a party affiliation, like school boards, judges, and others. To determine who to vote for in those cases, you can do the following: 

• Google your county's local Democratic Party
• Go to the League of Women Voters personalized ballot service 
• Go to Ballotpedia - Example: google “Ballotpedia Arizona elections 2022”
• Google the candidate's name to find their campaign website

6. There are lots of ways to return your ballot! 

📌 Remember! Only use a mail service if you cannot return your ballot electronically 📌

Ballot return methods – by email, online, postal mail, fax – vary by state. Always return your ballot as quickly as possible, but especially if your state only allows postal mail return. Find your state's exact ballot return methods here.

If your state allows email, online upload or fax  for ballot return, please use these options as they’re not subject to delay! Here is more information on fax submission.

If your state requires postal mail return, see info below.

New Jersey Voters: Please note that New Jersey allows for email or fax returns, but requires that the ballot ALSO be sent by postal mail.

New York Voters: Here are instructions on How to fold the New York State General Election ballot.

➡ International Postal Service:  

If your state requires postal mail ballot return, one option is to use express international mail from your country's postal service. Please remember mail service can be slow and send your ballot as soon as possible!

You should – and some states require you – to ask for a postmark or date stamp to be placed on the outer envelope. Find out your state’s requirements here. 

➡ The U.S. Embassy/Consulate diplomatic pouch: The U.S. Consulate requests that ballots sent by the diplomatic post be dropped off no later than four weeks before the ballot due date. You will need to place your ballots in a U.S. postage paid return envelopes (usually provided with your ballot) or in envelopes bearing sufficient U.S. postage. You can download a free U.S. postage-paid return envelope template at FVAP.gov.

Please be aware that using the diplomatic pouch does not mean your ballot will arrive faster. It can take up to four weeks for the mail to reach its final destination. Use a Back-up Ballot to make the diplomatic pouch deadline if your regular ballot hasn’t arrived. Find out more here.

Find the U.S. Embassy or Consulate nearest you, plus specific drop off details, on your country's DA website: From the Americas Homepage, click at the top on Countries - Americas - Country Name in the drop down menu. "How to Vote from (YOUR COUNTRY)" will be directly on your country's landing page or click the button at the top to take you there.

If your country does not have an established DA Country Committee and is therefore not listed, email the Americas Non-Country Committee GOTV Coordinator for Embassy and Consulate info for your country at: [email protected].

Note that Belize, El Salvador, and Uruguay, while not official country committees, each have a facebook page where you can find your "How to Vote from XX"  information: Go to Democrats Abroad Belize, Democrats Abroad El Salvador, or Democrats Abroad Uruguay on Facebook.

➡ Courier Service:

If your state requires postal mail ballot return, the quickest option is to use a courier service.

Democrats Abroad is working to arrange with DHL a discount for ballots to be returned to the U.S. We'll share the specific details here as soon as they've been set. Stay tuned!

Even with expedited courier services though, ballots still take several days to get to the United States. Please send your ballot as soon as possible! Do not wait! You should – and some states require you – ask for a postmark or date stamp to be placed on the outer envelope. Find out your state’s requirements here. We do not recommend booking or paying online with any courier service. You will not receive a postmark if you book or pay online.

For courier information for your country, go to your countries DA website (as above), or to your country's Facebook page (Belize, El Salvador, and Uruguay); or email the Americas Non-Country Committee GOTV Coordinator for courier information for your country at: [email protected].

📌 Remember! Only use a mail service if you cannot return your ballot electronically 📌

7. Checking twice to prevent mistakes 👀

When filling out and packaging your ballot, don't forget to review the instructions carefully. Don't let human error spoil your ballot!

Regardless of how you send in your ballot, remember that you – the voter – must be the one who places it “in the mail.” In some states, it is unlawful for any other person to handle your voted ballot, even if it is sealed. Unsure? Find out your state’s requirements here. 

8. Confirming your ballot's arrival at your local election office in the United States ✓✓

Once you've sent your ballot, follow up with your local election official to make sure that it arrived and will be counted. Please do not just assume that your ballot has made it! 

The easiest way to ensure your ballot has arrived is to go to "Track Your Ballot" on your state’s website. You can also look up your local election office's contact details here and contact them directly. They may be experiencing a high volume of calls, so you may need to be persistent to get through to someone.

9. Having trouble? Need help? 😕

We understand that the voting process to some states can be confusing — that's why we're here to help! Send us an email at  [email protected] 

10. Get your "I Voted from XX" sticker

Thank you for voting!  If you would like to print an “I Voted from XX” sticker with your country's name go here.

Thurs, May 27th 5PM MDT / 7PM EDT

Join us for a Lively and Engaging Discussion with Q&A!

 RSVP Here!

Your Zoom link will be sent a day prior to the event.

We're excited to host this timely event, bringing back our former Ambassador and friend, Mari Carmen Aponte. Ambassador Aponte participated in DA's Ambassadors for Biden and joined us for our 2020 elections event. And we look forward to welcoming award-winning journalist, Maria Emilia Martin, contributor to NPR and other news media, and based in Guatemala. 

Our speaker event is centered around the DA Resolution:Central American Immigration 2021, which focuses on the Northern Triangle Countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, authored by John Chudy, Vice Chair of Democrats Abroad Guatemala. We're fortunate to have his collaboration and for having him join us personally. John will be presenting the resolution, which provides much food for thought - and discussion!

We'll get to hear from our guest speakers and will then follow up with a Q & A discussion session.

U.S. immigration policies have profound consequences for our Central American neighbors, and affect the lives of United States Citizens as well. We have always been, and will continue to be, a nation of immigrants. So please join us from wherever you are.

We look forward to seeing you there,

Alexia Chamorro, Chair; and Hudak Hendrix, Vice Chair  

DA El Salvador Formation Committee

Note: We will begin the formal establishment of DA El Salvador this fall, and seek members interested in joining us on our leadership team - or volunteering in other ways. Or simply sign up to be on our Contact List for news and events announcements. Let us know how you'd like to be involved here:

DA El Salvador Volunteers and Leadership

On Tuesday May 11th, the Americas Region held its Annual General Meeting on WebEx. Outgoing Regional Vice Chair (RVC) Kathy Rothschild gave a report of the year that was (2020), and the year to come (2021), followed by a presentation by each one of our country committees, and three formation committees - including the first multi country committee, the Caribbean Islands group! Aftewards, the Americas Nominations and Elections Committee announced the winner of the RVC race: Steve Nardi!

We congratulate Mr. Nardi on his election as RVC. We expect great things under his leadership!

We also want to thank outgoing RVC, Kathy Rothschild, for her amazing term in this position.

AMERICAS REGIONAL VICE CHAIR ELECTION

STEVE NARDI

CANADA

I’m Steve Nardi, and I live outside Toronto, Canada, with Kevin, my husband of 17 years. I’ve been here 27 years and vote out of MI-07. While a DA member 20+ years, I only actively engaged when I ran for a delegate spot in 2012. Subsequently, I’ve served as Chair of Canada’s Toronto chapter, larger than most DA country committees, and am completing my second term as Chair of DA Canada. The third motivation and focus in my life is hospice. I’ve been a Hospice Toronto volunteer for nearly 25 years, including as Board Chair through two different rotations. I’ve also had a successful career in operations leadership positions with groups across the US and Canada.

It’s been a privilege to lead outstanding teams these four years as country chair. Our collective efforts resulted in 14 active chapters, covering 5.5 time zones, 40% growth in membership, and phenomenal GOTV outcomes. I’m not afraid to lean in when I believe we’re capable of more and was honored our chapters trusted me in 2020 at three critical points, collaborating with resources or finances to enable the whole to communicate with more members than if they’d acted independently.

With 14 country committees in our region (soon 15, 16, ??), in addition to each having its own unique needs, objectives, and abilities, opportunities exist for us to collaborate to grow individually and collectively for a more vital region of engaged members.

I’m not asking to be your RVC based on what Canada’s accomplished; but because of how we did it - together. The combination of DA leadership experience and proven operations skills, guided with the compassion gained through my hospice work, will make me a strong leader for our region these next two years.

I would be grateful and humbled to have your support.

We are now accepting nominations for the bi-annual election of Regional Vice Chair (RVC) for the Americas region! The election results will be announced during the virtual Americas Annual General Meeting on the 11th of May at 5pm EDT. One vote is allocated to each  country committee that is in compliance and will be cast solely by country committee chairs and vice chairs. The chair and vice chair each country carry ½ vote. If only the chair or the vice chair are able to cast their vote then that vote will be counted as one vote.

Democrats Abroad has three RVCs, one for each region, who:

• Are elected to a two year term that begins and ends with the regional election.
• Cannot serve more than two consecutive terms.
• Serve as one of 8 voting members of the International Executive Committee. Meetings are currently held weekly and typically last from two to three hours, but this is subject to change with the new leadership. 
• Organize and lead monthly regional calls of about one to two hours to encourage, inform, and create a sense of community among regional country committees. 
• Organize and lead a one to three day annual regional meeting to encourage, inform, and create a sense of community among regional country committees. When practical, these annual meetings are held as in-person events with remote participation available. 
• Act as a liaison between the International Executive Committee and one or more of the Democrats Abroad committees, lending a hand to the committee chair and assuming chair responsibilities should that position not be filled.
• Assist in organizing and attend the annual Democrats Abroad Global Meeting, preferably in person when conditions allow. Note that travel costs are the responsibility of the RVC.
• Work with existing country committees to mediate and resolve issues within their committees including election issues, membership queries, etc. 
• Track compliance status of country committees with Charter requirements and work with emerging and out-of-compliance countries to help bring them into compliance.
• Communicate International Executive Committee decisions, policies, and Democrats Abroad best practices to the country committee leaders.
• Bring regional issues to the International Executive Committee for discussion and resolution.

The eligibility requirements for RVC are as follows: 

• Be a citizen of the United States. 
• Be a member of Democrats Abroad residing within a country in the Americas region.
• Adhere to the principles of the Democratic Party of the United States.
• Due to the extenuating circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, residents of the region who are temporarily residing outside of their country of residence due to the pandemic may still run for  RVC.  There must be an intent to return to the Americas following the lifting of travel restrictions.

Self-nominations and nominations by others are both welcomed and encouraged! The nomination form is attached to this email. Please submit any nominations using this attachment to the NEC Chair Jody Quinnell at [email protected] no later than 11:59pm EDT  April 15th. Each nominee if nominated by another member is required to accept their nomination by emailing the NEC Chair no later than April 18th.

Candidates who have self nominated or have accepted the nomination from another shall be expected to speak for approximately five minutes at the April 20th regular monthly meeting of the Americas Region outlining  their background, experience working with DA, and their unique qualifications for serving as RVC for the Americas. 

Ballots will be distributed via email on April 21st with instructions as to how to complete and the deadline to return.  Ballots must be returned to the Chair of the NEC no later than 11:59pm EDT May 10th. Email: [email protected].

The winning candidate will be announced at the Americas 2021 AGM on May 11th.

Please forward questions about this election to any member of the Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC).

Thank you on behalf of our entire committee for your participation.

Jody Quinnell (Chair) Former Americas RVC   
Stephanie Matthes, Argentina  
Michaela Rivera, Mexico   
[email protected]  

DA COUNTRY COMMITTEES IN THE AMERICAS REGION

Don't live in one of these countries but want to get involved?  Please send a message to the Regional Vice-Chair (RVC) for the Americas, Steve Nardi. 

If you would like to help develop a new Country Committee, we can also help. Just get in touch!