Tiny Action: Protect Yourself from Voter Roll Purges
Every year, Americans abroad miss the chance to vote. The reason? They didn't realize they were no longer registered.
This week’s #TinyAction: Don’t miss out. Double check that you are registered to vote, and that your overseas absentee ballot request has been confirmed.
After you have requested an overseas absentee ballot, use our Election Official Directory and select your voting state and region to find your Election Official.
Hello:
My name is (NAME) and I vote in (DISTRICT). I currently live in (LOCATION) but I believe I’ve already submitted my overseas absentee ballot request, and I just wanted to check to be sure that I’m properly registered and will receive my ballots throughout the year?
Thank you very much,
Most Election Officials have both phone and email contact options, and they’re very used to responding to questions like yours, which makes it an efficient way to check your voting status quickly and easily.
Then, read up on how your state compares to others:
- Center for American Progress Action Fund: Health of State Democracies
- Rock the Vote: Know Your Voting Rights
- Brennan Center for Justice: Voting Laws Roundup 2018
WHY IT MATTERS
Republican-controlled state governments are actively working to make it harder for Americans to vote. Flawed methods like too-simple name and birthdate matches that misidentify millions as dead or having moved result in voter roll purges.
Just this year, 28 bills restricting access have been introduced in 14 states, including California, and in Wisconsin, 308,000 voters have had their registrations deactivated in this year alone, with thousands thought to have been removed in error.
Elsewhere, Ohio’s “Use it or Lose it” voter roll purge has made its way to the Supreme Court, Indiana is also in court with the ACLU, as one of 30 states using the flawed method mentioned above that has up to a a 99% error rate.
- The GOP's Stealth War Against Voters (Rolling Stone)
- Culling Voter Rolls: Battling Over Who Even Gets to Go to the Polls (NYT)
- These Three Lawyers Are Quietly Purging Voter Rolls Across the Country (MoJo)
- The Voter Purge Case at the Supreme Court Reveals the Justice Department’s Attack on Voting Rights (ACLU)
- Indiana Sued Over Its Aggressive New Voter Purge Program (MoJo)
MORE INFO
If you are registered but haven’t sent in your overseas absentee ballot request (FPCA) this year, do it now. Your state is only required to send a ballot if you request it that calendar year, and the FPCA form protects your ballot from challenge at the federal level in case of a recount.
Not registered yet? You can also use the overseas absentee ballot request (FPCA) to register to vote.
Questions about the primary?
Our FAQ specifically for primaries can be found here.
Questions about midterms?
Find our FAQ on midterms here.
Still have questions?
Contact [email protected] or visit VoteFromAbroad.org to explores schedules, deadlines and ballot requirements.
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As always, our aim is to turn tiny actions into big results, so we hope we can continue to count on your help! Please send suggestions for our next tiny action to info at democratsabroad dot org.
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