About the New York 2nd Congressional District
The New York 2nd District House election is on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, but overseas absentee ballots go out September 21. Be sure to request an emailed overseas absentee ballot now and mail back your ballot ASAP! More info here.
The New York 2nd district boundaries include the South Shore of Long Island, New York, southwestern Suffolk County, and a small portion of southeastern Nassau County. Click here to see a detailed map to see if you're a New York 2nd district voter. Every vote from abroad matters! The more of us that vote, the more Congress will prioritize Americans abroad issues. This is why it's so important for everyone living abroad to vote. To read more about this race click here.
Rob Lubin
1. Once elected, will you join the Congressional Americans Abroad Caucus?
Yes
2. How do you think access to voting from abroad can be improved?
Absentee and early voting – a long time practice both at home and for citizens abroad – are under attack. Republicans have increasingly targeted voting formats that are not in-person, which, beyond their substantial consequences domestically, pose a civic threat to Americans overseas. I believe it is imperative that all overseas citizens be able to access an absentee ballot by mail, email, fax, or internet download, regardless of the state in which they are eligible to vote.
3. Several bills have been making their way through the House that are aimed at drawing attention to and/or addressing some of the most critical issues facing US citizens who live outside the country. Would you be willing to co-sign versions of the following bills?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
4. How do you think US citizen services at consulates and embassies could be improved?
Our consulate and embassy outposts abroad serve a vital role in the safety and connectivity of our citizens beyond our border. With constant challenges in staffing and correspondingly, wait times, I believe it is critical to properly staff our offices with requisite personnel levels. Actions such as replacing lost passports, helping injured travelers, and meeting other such needs must be done expeditiously. Further, citizen services should be able to provide specialized assistance, such as helping American businesses connect with local counterparts.
5. What reforms would you support to relieve the undue burden faced by low- and middle-class Americans abroad?
It is critical that low and middle-class Americans abroad be allowed to have automatic voter registration, ‘permanent’ absentee voter status, and standardized deadlines for federal elections. Lower income voters face persistent challenges in accessing the ballot box due to onerous work and family commitments in addition to the complexities of voting from overseas, and I support any barriers we can remove to exercising this civic duty.
6. Would you support adjustments to the tax code that align tax residency with physical residency, provided that they are resilient against abuse and are beneficial to the Internal Revenue Service?
Tax residency is a complicated issue that is ripe for abuse; while I do believe that Americans abroad working for foreign companies should not pay the same level of federal or state taxes as a domestic resident, we must all recognize and participate in the collective financial commitments we make to this Nation. As voters, if we seek to dictate how our taxes are spent, we must participate in that process to the letter of the law. I do want to have conversations around how to significantly reduce the tax burden on our citizens living abroad.
7. What more do you believe could be done to keep U.S. citizens abroad in mind when passing legislation in order to avoid unintended consequences for those living outside the United States?
As a member of a family who have had members live abroad for prolonged periods, it strikes me that advocacy groups for these voters play such a small role in the broader discussions on US policymaking. My door will always be open for these constituents, and I will commit to hosting monthly virtual town hall meetings for Long Island voters abroad.