The 2025 General Election is fast approaching, and the Democrats Abroad (DA) Global Veterans and Military Families (VMF) Caucus reminds all U.S. citizens living, working, studying, or serving abroad about the importance of requesting a ballot from your home state and quickly returning it to your local election office to prevent delays in having your votes counted.

With big-ticket races happening in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, military and overseas-based U.S. citizens should be aware of local races happening throughout the country – from Salt Lake City to Des Moines, Seattle to Santa Fe, Orlando to New York City, and elsewhere in multiple municipalities. VMF’s Steering Committee has carefully considered the candidacies of many of those races, and we are proud to have endorsed several of the Democratic candidates who will be on this November’s ballot, such as:

VMF believes that Democratic candidates who are veterans, military family members, or other civilians who have a connection with U.S. national security make especially effective candidates for office due to their commitment to completing tasks, working with others–including those of a different background and perspective, understanding what it means to be held accountable to taxpayers, and promoting patriotic events and ideologies.

The importance of state and local elections cannot be understated. Lawmakers in every state’s legislature are often the most influential on items like voting rights for the overseas community. At the same time, local officials are also critical decision-makers, meaning they often determine the budget for veteran service officers in places like Illinois and Massachusetts, while local policymakers in places like Boston and Detroit are on the front lines of environmental cleanup and addressing climate change. And for California voters, voting yes on Proposition 50 is strongly recommended  to counter Texas’s decision to rubber-stamp President Trump’s order to “find five Congressional seats.” Former Congressman Beto O’Rourke recently spoke with Democrats Abroad about the absolute necessity for Californians to pass Prop 50.

David Mattson, a VMF member living in Germany and the son of a World War II veteran, provided his thoughts on the upcoming mayoral race in New York City:

“VMF supports the refreshing candidacy of Zohran Mamdani, who captured the working class’s imagination this year, decisively winning the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City and with an intense focus on the affordability of housing, groceries, and child care. Mamdani has also not shied away from pressing social issues and openly challenged ICE’s questionable methods during his campaign. He’s also repeatedly earned the LGBT community’s trust by having pledged to defend trans New Yorkers and defend abortion. Of note is the monumental task of the next mayor of America’s largest city, having to protect its residents and always keeping national security at the forefront of policymaking. The VMF Caucus not only made the right choice in endorsing this outstanding candidate, but his primary victory is a wake-up call to voters that it’s okay to turn the page and start anew with politicians who bring an ‘outside the box’ perspective of thinking.”

According to one Europe-based, military-connected VMF member: 

“Voting is a right for all U.S. citizens, but I’ve always viewed it as a privilege. I lived in the U.S. for over a decade before earning my citizenship through military service. As a Washington state voter, I’m grateful the voting process is relatively painless, given the electronic and postal voting options. Unfortunately, not all states make voting as hassle-free as Washington. Still, with many important local elections taking place in places like Seattle and other municipalities, I encourage every U.S. citizen who votes in Washington to immediately request their ballot if they haven’t already done so, and to send it back promptly to ensure it gets counted. Billions of people in the world have no right to vote, not even that amount of influence in their government. The U.S. citizenship oath is special because we don’t swear allegiance to a ruler. We swear allegiance to the Constitution. Please exercise your right to vote to preserve the other rights we have as U.S. citizens—no matter where we are in the world.”

Another military-connected VMF member who resides in the Asia-Pacific region recently commented with her thoughts:

“I’m voting this November because democracy is on the ballot in every election, including the off-years. We all have a stake in maintaining America’s democratic ideals, which includes participating in state and local elections, which is why I look forward to voting for candidates who are committed to working towards better health care and educational opportunities for everyone in my home voting state of Virginia.”

VMF reiterates the importance of U.S. citizens returning their ballots as quickly as reasonably possible. As not all states require the same method of ballot return, it is essential to read the instructions that accompany the voting ballots. Voters who have the option to return their ballots electronically are encouraged to use this method. For voters who must return their ballot by postal mail, please be sure to sign and date the paperwork and closely follow the requirements stated by the local election office. For all voters abroad, please do not forget to follow up with your home voting authority to ensure that your ballot was indeed received, verified, and counted.

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 consisting of veterans, military family members, Department of War, or DoW (formerly Department of Defense, or DoD) civilians, and strong allies of veterans and military family causes, has a membership of over 1,400 members located in dozens of countries. 

For questions about this statement, please reach out to 

[email protected].