Paris, France—The following VMF member opinion piece is offered by Meredith Gowan Le Goff, an overseas U.S. citizen with a lengthy résumé of paying attention to issues affecting the American abroad community, and a daughter and granddaughter of WWII U.S. veterans. Meredith is a Mississippi UOCAVA voter, resident of France, and member of the Democrats Abroad Global Veterans and Military Families (VMF) Caucus.
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Defending democracy and our Constitution is not new to veterans and their families, nor is the sacrifice required to do so. Now we are called upon to defend our right to participate in it.
The House of Representatives has passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or the “SAVE Act,” and while many representatives who voted in favor may have had good intentions, it’s crucial that we help our Senators understand the practical realities of this bill and why our unique population abroad is overwhelmingly against its passage.
Many of the “solutions” proposed in this bill address problems that don’t actually exist and, in fact, create very real and very unnecessary obstacles to voting for American citizens abroad.
For decades, we’ve worked to establish a bipartisan voting system that allows U.S. citizens abroad – including veterans and military families – to cast their ballots securely. The military-connected community residing overseas is in the best position to speak to the system’s effectiveness and why some of the proposed changes would actually disenfranchise us.
Time is short, and if we don’t take action, we may not have our votes counted in the midterms. Regardless of the party affiliation of your elected officials, contact them and let them know that this bill makes it unnecessarily more burdensome for you to vote, and especially so if you identify as a veteran, military spouse, or DoD retiree. For example, the bill introduces new documentation requirements that could delay or prevent veterans from being able to vote in time, such as requiring more extensive proof of identity for absentee ballots. It also shortens the window for receiving and returning ballots, which can be nearly impossible for veterans living in countries with slow mail systems.
Please contact your U.S. Senators today and urge them to vote NO on the SAVE Act.
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U.S. citizens living abroad, both civilian and military, are highly encouraged to check your voter registration status and request your ballot for any upcoming elections in your home voting state that you are eligible to vote in.
The Global VMF Caucus has over 1,400 members in dozens of countries and proudly consists of veterans, military family members, Department of Defense civilians, other national security professionals, and strong allies of veterans and military family causes.