“In 2024, over four billion people – half of the world’s population – in over 40 countries will have the opportunity to go to the polls. Is this democracy’s biggest test?” asks Nicholas Reese, senior Fellow of the School of Government, University of Melbourne, in a recently posted article about different kinds of elections.
There are bogus elections where the opponents are not allowed to win, but it looks good to say that “my country has elections.” There are elections where the opposition candidates face jail or there are other obstacles preventing them from winning.
Citizens of the US are privileged to have elections which are free, fair, and open to all. In a law passed by the 99th Congress (1985-86), the privilege to vote is open to all American citizens, and they can cast their vote from anywhere in the world.
“Every citizen is a voter,” maintains the US Federal Voter Assistance Program (FVAP), which provides an online, two-step application that enables overseas voters first to register, and then receive their absentee ballot. Voting is possible not only for overseas US citizens over 18 but also for their children who have US citizenship and, in some cases, their grandchildren, who are considered US citizens even though they were not born in the US or ever lived there.
“Nevertheless, the number of Americans who vote from overseas is low and needs to be improved,” says Andee Goldman, an Israel-based volunteer, nonpartisan, US overseas voting consultant. “I made aliyah in 2006 from Las Vegas, Nevada, with the prayer to God to help me to not only contribute to the country of Israel but also to do something needed. My goal has evolved into forming an informed passion to help increase the voting percentage of US overseas voters,” she explains.
“In the last US presidential election,” she points out, “the FVAP released the figure that only 5% of Americans living in Israel voted. I know we can do better.
”We must remember that as Americans living overseas, each election is an opportunity not only to reaffirm our values and protect our interests but also to help ensure [for] our family members and friends living in the US the kind of country we want to see. We can make our voices heard only if we speak up.”
How can Americans in Israel vote in the US elections?
REGISTERED US voters in Israel will receive their ballots in October 2024, which will be counted with the ballots for the November 5 elections. This is a vote not only for the president of the country but also for 33 senators and all 435 members of the House of Representatives. At present, Republicans have the majority in the House, while Democrats and Independents, who caucus with Democrats, have a majority in the Senate.
Goldman says there have been many US federal elections for the House and Senate that have been decided by a margin smaller than the number of ballots cast by absentee voters. Each vote counts and carries the same rights. By law, all states are required to count every absentee ballot that is valid and reaches local election officials by the absentee ballot receipt deadline.
According to the FVAP, it doesn’t matter how long you have lived outside of the United States, even if you have never voted before. Nor does it matter if you were born overseas but have American parents. There are 39 states that allow you to vote based on your parents’ last address in America. Although each state has different guidelines (such as registration deadlines), all states have provisions for overseas voters.
For information on how to register and request your absentee ballot, go to the Internet site FVAP.gov, which has information to fill out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) application necessary for registration. After filling it out, print it and sign it, and then send it according to instructions. The FVAP has an online assistant at www.fvap.gov/fpca-privacy-notice to walk you through each section of the form. You may request that your ballot be emailed to you in early October. Most states accept the FPCA by email or fax. Check your state’s specific guidelines on the FVAP website.
Upon receipt of their ballot in early October, voters must send the completed form to their election office by the recommended deadline. After sending, they can check at FVAP to see whether their ballot was received by their election office.
In the event that the ballot was delayed in arriving, there is a backup option to still be able to vote. Voters can fill out the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) available on the website. They then print it, sign it, and send it to their election office.
According to the voters’ state regulations, they can send their ballot by personal delivery, postal mail, or courier service, such as Fed Express or DHL, which has special agreements for sending several ballots from different registered American voters to the same voting election address in the US.
OVERSEAS VOTERS are important to the US government and are given the same attention and protection as voters on American soil.
“It is a great myth that absentee ballots are not counted unless the election is close,” stresses New York State’s chief election official Kirsten Zebrowski-Stavisky. “Nothing could be farther from the truth. Every single absentee ballot is counted.”
She has seen many close races and describes incidents such as when one local race was decided by two votes. In 2022, a New York congressional race ended with the candidates separated by one percentage point.
“Every vote makes a difference, enabling voters to voice how [their] community is represented,” she says. “Voters living abroad maintain a connection to [the] US [through] elections and are a valued constituency. I’ve spent much of my professional life working to ensure that all eligible voters have unfettered access to the polls. It is an honor to do the work I do.”
This same dedication is voiced by Heather A. Stone, executive vice chair of American Democrats in Israel. “Voting from overseas,” she says, “is not only a right but also a responsibility. Just as US citizens living abroad are obligated to file tax returns and, in some cases, continue to pay US taxes, we need to make our voices heard by decision-makers. Overseas voters have the same opportunity as all American citizens to choose the president and select members of Congress.
“We, the US citizens living in Israel, have a responsibility to protect US democracy and the special US-Israel relationship by exercising our right to vote,” she says. “Democracy, women’s rights, climate change, and healthcare issues are all on the ballot in 2024. I urge every US citizen to exercise his/her right and vote.”
Organizations, such as Republicans, Democrats, and Independents from Overseas, will be sponsoring a debate in Israel before the US elections in November (exact date to be determined). It will provide an opportunity to become further informed.
Succinctly summing up the necessity to vote in the US federal elections, Goldman says, “Voting from abroad is a privilege granted by US law. By not voting, you allow others to speak for you. Your vote is your voice.”
Goldman can be contacted for assistance in filling out the forms at Votingfromabroad@gmail.com.
For further information and assistance, go to FVAP.gov