Americans around the world happy 4th of July
CELEBRATE DEMOCRACY THIS 4TH OF JULY BY ENSURING YOU ARE PREPARED TO VOTE IN THE 2024 U.S. ELECTION
Since America’s Independence Day – July 4, 1776 – US Congress, Senate, and President had the legal right to pass laws that have major positive or negative impact on voters. Many positive laws have been passed to grant Americans the right to vote.
- 12th Amendment ~ Election of President and Vice President (1804)
- 15th Amendment ~ Right to Vote Not Denied by Race (1870)
- 17th Amendment ~ Popular Elections of Senators (1913)
- 19th Amendment ~ Women’s Right to Vote (1920)
- 20th Amendment ~ Presidential Term and Succession, Assembly of Congress (1933)
- 22nd Amendment ~ Two Term Limit on Presidency (1951)
- 23rd Amendment ~ Presidential Vote for D.C. (1961)
- 24th Amendment ~ Abolition of Poll Taxes: (1964)
- 25th Amendment ~ Presidential Disability and Succession (1967)
- 26th Amendment ~ Right to Vote at Age 18 (1971)
Federal laws passed over the years help protect Americans’ right to vote and make it easier for citizens to exercise that right:
- The Civil Rights Acts created some of the earliest federal protections against discrimination in voting. These protections were first outlined by the Civil Rights Act of 1870 and were later amended by the:
- The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibited voter discrimination based on race, color, or membership in a language minority group. It also required certain places to provide election materials in languages besides English.
- The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984 required polling places to be accessible to people with disabilities.
- The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) of 1986 allowed members of the U.S. armed forces and U.S. voters abroad to register and vote by mail.
- The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 created new ways to register to vote. It also called for states to keep more accurate voter registration lists.
- The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 authorized the federal funding of elections. It also created the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). The EAC helps states comply with HAVA to adopt minimum standards on voter education, registration, and ballots.
- The Military and Overseas Voting Empowerment (MOVE) Act of 2009 improved access to voting by military voters and voters living outside of the U.S.
Each state has their own voting laws and deadlines. Thirty-eight states allow voting by children born overseas to an American parent: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
“This right to vote is the basic right without which all others are meaningless. It gives people, people as individuals, control over their own destinies.” Lyndon B. Johnson
YOUR VOTE is YOUR VOICE
We can hire or fire elected officials. By not voting YOU allow others to speak for you and laws that are passed by Congress, Senate, or the President might make a difference in your life. FATCA is a perfect example of a law that was passed that has hurt many overseas voters.
More overseas voters are voting in 2024 and each have their own reasons.
Ateret Ben-Zvi was born overseas to an American parent, “The reason I decided to vote for the first time is probably not surprising – like many Jews, both in Israel and abroad, I experienced a very rude awakening on Oct 7. Part of that was realizing, on a much deeper level than before, how much American politics influence Israel and the entire world. And since I pay good money every year to file my US tax returns… I figured why not exercise my voting rights (but this is perhaps just me justifying to myself why I’m even entitled to have a say in the American elections without living in the US).”
“I have lived in Israel for over 50 years and have never voted from overseas. The American political situation really bothers me so I am voting in 2024. So are my three sons who were born overseas.” Marcie
“I am 87 years old and have always voted. I don’t understand why people who live overseas do not vote. I file annually a US Tax Return, receive social security, have a US Passport, and money still in America. I have ever right to vote.” Annie Burg
“Every election is determined by the people who show up.” Larry J. Sabato
Voting from overseas is really not that difficult. Each state has its own voting deadlines and laws. Your last address in America determines your voting district. Most states require voters to register January 1st of each election year and overseas voters are only eligible for voting in the Federal Election for Congress, Senate, and the President. For the General Election, it’s best to send in the FPCA by August 1.
- Register to vote online, request your ballot to be emailed, print, and follow instruction on how to return your FPCA.
- Follow up to make sure you are registered.
- Ballots will be emailed 45 days prior to the election.
- If you haven’t received your ballot, check your spam file. Still not there? No worries, you can use a Federal Write-In Ballot.
- Vote and send back your ballot as soon as you receive it. Check the deadlinefor your ballot based on your state. The recommended vote-by day for the 2024 General Election is October 21, 2024, if you’re outside the U.S.
- If your state requires “snail mail”, you have different options.
- Mail at the local post office. The only problem with this is there is a history of postage paid correctly printed envelopes returned by the USPS with a label: Return to Sender, Can not Forward.
- You can preprint a postage paid envelope and take it to the local US Embassy or Consulate, Monday to Friday 8 am to 1pm (excluding holidays). Please note, it can take up to 4 weeks for the Embassy pouch to reach America.
- Courier ~ DHL-Israelis offering a 30% discount for sending a package to the US. This is totally nonpartisan. Promocode– USA20 (30% off website prices) Expiration date– 30.11.2024 For more information or help: WhatsApp- https://wa.me/972526350003
- If your state requires your ballot to be faxed and you don’t have a fax, you can email your ballot to FVAP and they will fax it for you. Fill out a Transmission Cover Sheet with all the pertinent information.
- Yes, you can track your ballot to make sure it was received by your state. Go to fvap.gov, click on your state, scroll down the page, on the left click, “Check the status of your voted ballot.”
“The most important office, and the one which all of us can and should fill,
is that of private citizen.” Louis Brandeis
We have the opportunity to elect strong leaders. Not sure who to vote for? Go to your Sec of State voting website. They should include a list of candidates. A voter told me she emailed the various candidates whom she thought might be a strong leader and asked them three questions: 1) How will they handle the border problem and illegal immigrants, 2) High cost of American medical, and 3) The Middle East war between Israel and the Palestinians. The candidates who didn’t return her email, she crossed them off her list. The candidate who said he supported the Palestinians, she crossed him off her list. In the end she voted for a strong candidate who supports America’s values and a strong police force that will uphold the law.
“Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt