Melbourne, Australia—At a time when U.S. citizens’ voting rights are under attack by the White House, the Congress, and the courts, the latest in a long line of voter-suppression efforts is the recent introduction of the Proving Residency for Overseas Voter Eligibility (PROVE) Act, currently pending in the U.S. House of Representatives. Michael Ramos, Chair of the Democrats Abroad Global Veterans and Military Families Caucus, or VMF, provided feedback on H.R. 4851, the PROVE Act.
“Just like the so-called ‘SAVE Act,’ the PROVE Act provides a solution to a non-existent problem. The Republican bill sponsor – a veteran himself – disappointingly is parroting Donald Trump and the Big Lie that U.S. elections had ‘voting irregularities’ and claiming that non-citizens casted ballots, contributing to ‘voter fraud.’ But we all know the truth: there was no mass voter fraud in the 2020 or 2024 elections. There were no situations that justified ridiculous legislative responses, such as requiring in-person voter registration with proof of U.S. citizenship. For decades, U.S. citizens residing abroad, including many who are military-connected, as well as those who are not, and those who used to be, have gone through their state’s strict voting checks and met eligibility requirements to communicate their democratic voice back to their local election offices.
“However, the PROVE Act creates unnecessary headaches for law-abiding citizens abroad who wish to exercise their constitutional right and simply engage in the voting process. For example, suppose a service member stationed in South Korea retires or does not reenlist in the military and decides to continue living abroad upon discharge. In that case, this means that one day the voter is military-connected and the very next day the individual is a civilian. The PROVE Act would completely ignore the voter’s time in service and kick him or her off their state’s voting rolls simply because of the loss of military connection. The bill also disregards those who are not in the Armed Forces but work alongside the military: employees of the CIA, DoD, State Department, contractors, and more – they too would get a kick in the teeth and loss of home voting rights from Republicans under this bill. And did the bill sponsor mention his thoughts on other items affecting Americans abroad, such as removing the requirements to file federal tax returns or making male citizens exempt from the Selective Service System? Of course not.
“The aims of the M.A.G.A. extremists are clear: to silence the voices of our fellow citizens while Donald Trump and his allies ram through policies which continue shredding constitutional rights and liberties. The VMF Caucus will never, ever support voter suppression bills or executive orders ripping away UOCAVA voters’ rights. The military community has worn the uniform, moved to where the government ordered them to, and has made countless sacrifices to defend American freedoms – the very same freedoms that Republicans want to snatch from us. The civilian community abroad should not have to jump through GOP-made hoops to ‘prove’ residence in their home voting state simply to cast their vote. One of the privileges of U.S. citizenship is the right and responsibility to vote in our elections. The bill sponsor clearly did not think this out before introducing it. VMF is prepared to go the distance and fight this bill tooth and nail at every step along the way in the legislative process.”
Chair Ramos encourages every VMF Caucus member to notify their Members of Congress to oppose the terrible legislation known as H.R. 4851, and to relay your thoughts on this bill’s effects on U.S. citizens living abroad. VMF sides with those who also oppose the legislation, and especially those professional organizations advocating for U.S. citizens residing abroad.
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 VMF Caucus, proudly comprising veterans, military family members, DoD civilians, and strong allies of veteran and military family causes, has approximately 1,400 members located in dozens of countries.
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