Please help us make sure that every American living abroad has the opportunity to vote. We need your help!
Make a short video about the issues you care about and ask people to request an absentee ballot and vote.
This is the most important election of our lifetimes. The world as we know it won’t survive another four years of Donald Trump. We know that time is running out to act decisively on climate change.
Below is information to help you make a video.
Send your video with https://wetransfer.com/ to [email protected] or send a link to an Apple or Google shared file to the same email address.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with [email protected]
Sample Script
My name is (first name only)
I live in __________ (city and country or just country)
My home state is _____
or
I vote in _______
I’m voting in 2024 because (complete this sentence with one phrase you care deeply about)
Talk about your reason.
I’ve requested my absentee ballot. Have You? Or Request your absentee ballot today.
Go to Vote From Abroad dot org
Vote!
Extras to consider adding:
- Your vote counts. Votes from abroad make the difference in elections every year.
- The votefromabroad team is ready to help you with any questions you have.
- You can vote back in the US using the address where you last lived, even if you are no longer connected to that address.
- Americans abroad need to request a ballot every calendar year they'd like to vote in.
Video Topics/Suggestions
- Reproductive Freedom/Reproductive rights/Abortion rights
- Preserving our democracy
- Fighting against fascism and autocracy
- Separation of Church and State/Againist Christian Nationalism
- Book Bans
- Protecting Transgender people
- LGBTQ Rights
- Civil Rights
- What was the worst part of the Trump administration, and why you don't want him to be president again
- Climate Change/More action on climate change
- Gerrymandering in Voting districts needs to end
- Higher education should be free for everyone
- Save our public school system from voucher programs
- Sensible gun laws need to be established
- Veterans' help/rights
- Citizens United needs to be abolished to keep dark money and corporations out of our politics.
- We need to restore voter protection and stop discrimination against minority communities.
- Any topic you think is important
Filming guidelines:
- Determine what you want to say, then make some notes or write yourself a script so you don’t forget any key points. This will help make your video succinct.
- Choose a quiet location.
- Take the video in front of a blank wall or in front of something attractive indoors or outdoors.
- Check your look
- Check your lighting. If you are shooting from your laptop or desktop, putting a light behind the camera and slightly above it will reduce shadowing.
- Rehearse what you want to say out loud.
- Try to keep the video under 60 seconds but if you go over a minute, no more than 5 minutes.
- Shoot your video in Portrait/vertical format.
- Position your camera or phone at eye level or slightly above.
- Center yourself in the middle of the shot
- Hold your chin slightly upward and speak directly into the camera.
- Look at the camera - if you make a mistake, pause and say the line again. We will edit the best line.
- Leave about 2 seconds between each sentence to allow the editing room.
- Speak clearly and passionately
- Ask a family member to film you if possible
- After you record your video, watch it to see if you make the point you want to make and if the video and audio are okay.
- Have Fun!
