We’ve said time and again how important Midterm elections will be. And while all eyes may be focused on November, Americans abroad need to take action now to ensure they have requested their ballot this calendar year and are ready to vote.

This week’s #TinyAction: Visit VoteFromAbroad.org to complete a ballot request — and then send in that request!

1. Just click “start here” on the homepage, fill out the required fields, and follow the prompts on the site.
   
   
2. You can ask questions from any page on the site, and a Dems Abroad volunteer will help find the right answers for you. 
   
   
3. Don’t forget to send in your ballot request once you have completed it! You will be instructed on whether your voting state allows ballot requests to be submitted electronically, or if you must mail in by post. 
   
   
4. Encourage your American friends and colleagues to do the same!
   
   

MORE INFO

Elections aren’t until November. Why request your ballot in January?

It’s really not too early!

• Sending in your ballot request now will allow you to vote in primaries Your Local Board of Elections will get busier as we get closer to elections.
• If things are delayed — or if something goes wrong — sending in your ballot request now will ensure there’s time to address any issues.
• Do it now so you don’t have to worry about it later!

I registered years ago and have always received a ballot since then. Do I really have to send in my ballot request again this year?

Even voters who cast ballots this past November or in a recent Special Election must request their ballot again for 2018. This is the only way we are guaranteed the federal protections promised to overseas voters and that our ballots will be counted — that includes voters who may have received ballots in the past without completing a request that same year.

Because I registered as “live abroad and my return is uncertain,” I can only vote in Federal elections. Can I vote this year?

Yes! Federal elections include Senate and House races. Are votes from abroad really counted? Yes! If it arrives on time and meets legal requirements, your vote will be counted — and your vote COUNTS. In 2016, votes from abroad made the difference to elect Maggie Hassan into Senate and Roy Cooper into the Governor’s Mansion in North Carolina, and just last year, an election in Virginia was decided by a coin toss. EVERY vote is critical, especially now. It’s very possible Americans abroad can decide multiple elections this year.

FURTHER READING

• Voting Laws Roundup 2017
• The Voter Purge Case at the Supreme Court Reveals the Justice Department’s Attack on Voting Rights
• The Democrats’ Wave Could Turn Into A Flood
• Are Democrats’ Senate Chances In 2018 Overrated?
• Once Unthinkable, Now Possible: Senate Looks Like a Tossup in 2018
• Commentary: America’s unfair democracy will hurt Democrats in 2018
• Here's Where the Democrats Must Win to Retake the House in 2018 

As always, our aim is to turn tiny actions into big results, so we hope we can continue to count on your help! Do you have suggestions for our next tiny action? Email info at democratsabroad dot org and let us know.

Visit the main Tiny Actions page to sign up for weekly actions in your inbox: www.democratsabroad.org/tiny_actions