Reaching Voters Away from Home

Determined to increase the number of votes for democratic candidates by reaching voters living overseas or outside their state of residence for voting purposes,

Some four million eligible voters live abroad. Many serve away from home in uniform. They can vote by special absentee ballot but the vast majority don’t. An estimated 1 in 5 of them cast ballots in 2020. In 2024, Wes Edwards, of Building Bridges, is on a mission to change that ratio. Wes has looked at the numbers. Even if 1 in 4 vote (25 out of 100 instead of 20 out of every 100), the additional votes for Democratic candidates could shift the outcome of elections in swing states and districts.  

Aiming for 1 in 4

Will it be difficult? Wes says, not really. The reason so few have voted in the past? According to research conducted by the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), Americans living abroad don't vote for two main reasons: 1) People don't know they can vote and no one tells them 2) People want to vote but no one helps them.

That’s right, Wes emphasizes: “No one asked them!” Wes remembers one NC voter in Canada who said he had lived there over ten years and no one ever asked him to vote... until Building Bridges and volunteers did. Wes says, “If we had reached more like this, Cheri Beasley might be North Carolina’s Chief Justice now. She lost her statewide race for the position by just 400 votes.”

Overseas votes have been the margin of victory for candidates up and down the ballot.  In 2020, there’s strong evidence to suggest that votes from abroad brought Biden over the finish line in Arizona and Georgia.

Asking eligible voters to cast ballots seems like a perfectly doable task for volunteers. However, there are a few challenges and Wes is hoping for grassroots groups to join the effort. 

Because voting laws are so varied across the country, instructions with dates, links for where to request an absentee ballot, applications to register, and such all need to be tailored for the state where individuals will ultimately cast a ballot. Democrats Abroad doesn’t have lists of eligible voters apart from their own members. And Laura Mosedale, co chair of Voter Registration for Democrats Abroad UK, adds: 

The barriers might be different from what you imagine. 

Voting from abroad is a multi-step process. You can’t just turn up at the US Embassy and vote. You have to apply for a ballot from your state and you should apply for it every year. You can get your ballot by email, but twenty states require you to mail your voted ballot back. That takes time and money, especially for people living in remote areas far from a post office with regular operating hours or in countries with no postal service at all. The top reason overseas ballots are rejected is that they arrive too late to be counted. And though 30 states will let you return a ballot by some electronic method (email, upload, fax), there can be tech challenges and some voters still prefer paper ballots.

Building on precedent

Laura and Wes have both found that a personal touch can make a huge difference.

Over twenty years ago, Democrats Abroad developed an online platform, votefromabroad.org, that makes it easy to register to vote and request an overseas absentee ballot—many voters can complete, sign and submit the required form without having to print anything out. In recent election cycles, many DA Country Committees have expanded their nonpartisan voter registration drives, especially at study abroad programs and universities with a large cohort of US citizen students, and at international schools, alumni clubs and anywhere Americans gather.  In response to the pandemic in 2020, when in-person voter registration drives were suspended, DA developed a new service, ZoomtheVote (https://qrco.de/bbh0zg) where anyone can log in and be placed in a Zoom room to get individualized help with their voting questions. The service is still on offer, with trained volunteers all over the world ready to help. Votefromabroad also has a presence across all social media sites now, offering nonpartisan information and reminders about voting. “Our aim is to make voting visible to Americans abroad wherever and however we can,” says Laura.Democrats Abroad, Postcards to Voters, and the States Project have used postcards with handwritten messages to convey important information.

In 2020 Building Bridges volunteers wrote personalized messages to North Carolina voters in every US state and territory and over 140 countries. Printed mailers followed with relevant reminders.

2024 Let’s Go!

The votes Democrats are losing isn’t hundreds or thousands or even tens of thousands. Millions of people don’t live where they vote. They can ONLY vote by sending in a special absentee ballot.

Building Bridges has re-launched its campaign to reach voters who live far from their official address for voting purposes. The push is relational organizing, offering personal encouragement and getting people to the right place. Volunteers are invited to upcoming information and training sessions. Information and register here - June 17, 18 or 22. Visit https://www.buildingbridgesforamerica.com/vote-from-away for more resources to boost democracy and civic engagement.

Wes is optimistic that those working for Democratic candidates can find voters they didn't know were missing! He says, “It's enough to turn close races our way.”

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Contributors: Wes Edwards is a volunteer organizer with Building Bridges for America Action Fund, a national grassroots group that supports progressive organizers, trains local volunteers and mobilizes voters all over the world. 

Laura Mosedale is a volunteer Federal Voting Assistance Program Officer as well as the Co Chair of Voter Registration at Democrats Abroad UK.