April 22, 2026
The voting rights of Michigan voters abroad have again been upheld by the courts, who rejected Republican efforts to exclude voting-age children and spouses of Americans living abroad — including service members — to vote absentee, using their family’s last residence.
Courts have now twice rejected these efforts. More here.
August 6, 2025
Americans abroad just scored an important victory in Michigan, and Democrats Abroad helped make it happen!
On August 6, 2025, the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling protecting the right to vote for certain U.S. citizens born overseas to Michigan parents or guardians, even if they have never lived in the state. This decision stops an attempt by the Republican National Committee (RNC), Michigan Republican Party, and a local Michigan clerk to strip these voters from Michigan’s rolls and reject their ballots.
The case, Michigan Republican Party v Secretary of State, targeted a provision in Michigan’s Election Officials Manual that extends state voting rights to U.S. citizens born abroad to Michigan residents, consistent with the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). Plaintiffs argued the provision violated the Michigan Constitution’s residency requirement and sought to prevent the state from registering or counting votes from these eligible citizens.
Democrats Abroad has been working with a Michigan lawyer, Mark Brewer, on this case for months. Brewer filed an amicus brief on our behalf defending overseas voters’ rights, underscoring the importance of protecting all Americans’ access to the ballot box, no matter where in the world they live.
With the appellate court’s decision last week, Michigan’s overseas voters can continue to participate fully in elections. This precedent adds momentum to efforts to defend voting rights for all Americans abroad and pushes back against Republican attempts to disenfranchise US citizens who haven’t resided in the US from their right to vote.