You really should have registered to vote/requested a ballot for the 2026 federal elections by now. At the moment, all overseas voters should be doing two things:
- voting in the primary elections, which are already underway; and
- fighting the resurrected “SAVE” Act (now called the “SAVE America” Act).
(If you haven’t registered yet, go to the US Vote Foundation or the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) and do it right away. Click here for advice on carrying out the process and spreading the word. Contact FAWCO’s US Voting Committee at if you have questions.)
Two reasons to vote in your state’s primary
The general election takes place in November, even though most overseas voters will cast and send their ballots in September–October. Starting now, however, states will hold primary elections to choose the candidates who will appear on the final ballot for the general. Vote in your state’s primary election for two reasons:
- to pick candidates for the general election; and
- to make a dry run of your plan to cast a valid ballot in the general election.
The states’ rules for primary voting vary, but voters must often give the name of a particular political party to be allowed to take part. Follow the computer prompt when you fill out the registration/request form. And hurry— six states’ primaries are under way right now. Go to the US Vote Foundation or FVAP right away.
Voting in your state’s primary not only increases your chance of voting for candidates that you like in the general but also gives you a chance to test your plan for casting a ballot that will be counted in November. Click here to find out why you should have a plan, and how to make one.
Example: I had to change my voting plan
I filled out my registration/request form on January 1, and mailed it to my state on January 2. My state holds its primary at the beginning of March, so I needed to get the ballot as soon as possible. When I contacted my local election official to ask about it on January 23, he said that he had not received the form. I had kept the scan of the signed form, as always, so I could solve that problem by emailing it. But I can’t email my ballot for the general election.
I can send my ballot to my state by mail (now proved to be too slow), commercial carrier or diplomatic pouch through the US embassy. With two choices left, I sent my primary ballot on its way through the pouch. I will check with my local election official to find out when it arrives and whether it is counted. The results will show me whether I need to switch again, to a commercial carrier such as DHL or FedEx. That would be the most expensive option, but it would let me fulfil all the rules to cast my vote and get it counted.
BUT—some people are trying to change the rules. Overseas voters—along with all other US voters—should be fighting back.
Fight the “SAVE America” Act (again)
The unlamented “SAVE” Act having died in the US Senate last year, the US House of Representatives has just passed the “SAVE America” Act, a bill with a slightly different name but the same likely effect: keeping millions of citizens, including those of us who live overseas. from voting.
The Brennan Center for Justice says that the bill:
would require all Americans to provide a birth certificate, passport, or one of a few other citizenship documents [in person to their local election official] every time they register or re-register to vote [emphasis added]. If enacted, it would devastate voter registration while disenfranchising tens of millions of eligible American citizens.
No matter the intention of the bill, its main effect would be to “save” lawmakers from being held accountable by all the people to whom the Constitution gave that power.
What to do: contact your senators and spread the word
As we had to go through all this last year, we already have a roadmap for response. Click here to find out how to contact your senators and even what you can say to oppose the bill. The only thing to change is the name of the bill.
If you know you senators’ names, calling them is as easy as ringing the Capitol switchboard (+1 (202) 224-3121) and asking for them by name. Senators are getting a lot of calls on a range of topics right now, and some are not answering the phones in their Washington, DC offices. Even the message boxes may be full. To be sure you can leave a message or talk to a live staffer, it’s a good idea to phone both their DC offices and those in your state. The local offices may be more likely to answer.
If you don’t know your Senators’ names, want to find local phone numbers or wish to email them, here’s how to find and contact them.
- Visit the Senate website.
- Search for your Senators using the Contact link (scroll down to find it and select your state).
- On the results page is a link to the Senators’ websites, contact information and links to an online contact form (forms vary by Senator).
Once you have given your senators an earful, spread the word in your club and community where you live, and to your friends and family in the US—the bill threatens their rights, too.
The biggest lesson from all this struggle is how determined we must be to keep and exercise our rights. As I remind my Senators, “Taxation without representation is still tyranny!”