US Voting

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Mary Stewart Burgher

 

Mary Stewart Burgher
US Voting Committee Chair
AWC Denmark

US Voting Committee stands by results of 2020 US election – what FAWCO members can do in 2021

FAWCO’s US Voting Committee stands by the results of the 2020 election. Overseas Americans know that mail-in ballots are safe and secure because we use them.  All the ballots cast in the 2020 election were correctly counted, recounted as necessary and certified in accordance with state laws, and the results of the election certified by Congress as required by the Constitution of the United States. We advocate a peaceful transition of power and condemn the violent insurrection that took place in the Capitol on January 6. 

We urge FAWCO members:

  1. to combat misinformation about the election;
  2. to share their views with their representatives in Congress on this issue, as with all the others affecting us as citizens; and
  3. to ensure that you are registered to vote in 2021, as several special elections and regular state and local elections will be held quite soon in states such as Louisiana, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia.

You can contact the Committee Chair by email (). 

Combating misinformation 

Unfortunately, misinformation about the election, including debunked charges of election fraud, is still circulating among Americans. Use accurate information, including from the sources below.

Update, March 17, 2021

US government agencies released two declassified reports on attempts to interfere with US 2020 elections, concluding that:

  1. no foreign country interefered with the voting process; but
  2. Russia in particular, and other countries, tried to influence the election results, especially by seeking to undermine public confidence in the integrity of the electroal process.

Neither report is long; voting advocates should read both.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence published Foreign Threats to the 2020 US Federal Elections, “a declassified version of a classified report that the Intelligence Community provided to the President, senior Executive Branch officials and Congressional leadership and oversight committees on 07 January 2021.”

Key judgement 1: We have no indications that any foreign actor attempted to alter any technical aspect of the voting process in the 2020 US elections, including voter registration, casting ballots, vote tabulation, or reporting results. …

Key judgement 2: … Russian President Putin authorized, and a range of Russian organizations conducted, influence operations aimed at denigrating President Biden’s candidacy and the Democratic Party, supporting President Trump, undermining public confidence in the electoral process, and exacerbating sociopolitical divisions in the US. … A key element … was its use of proxies linked to Russian intelligence to push influence narratives … to US media organizations, US officials, and prominent US individuals, including some close to President Trump and his administration.

The Departments of Justice and of Homeland Security submitted a classified report in February 2021, and now a declassified version called Joint Report of the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security on Foreign Interference Targeting Election Infrastructure or Political Organization, Campaign, or Candidate Infrastructure Related to the 2020 US Federal Elections.

We — the Department of Justice, including the FBI, and Department of Homeland Security, including CISA — have no evidence that any foreign government-affiliated actor prevented voting, changed votes, or disrupted the ability to tally votes or to transmit election results in a timely manner; altered any technical aspect of the voting process; or otherwise compromised the integrity of voter registration information of any ballots cast during 2020 federal elections.

Both reports note that the government of Iran also sought to undermine confidence in the US electoral process.

Information as of January 18, 2021

Sharing your views with your representatives

FAWCO always encourages American members to express their views on their native country by voting. Especially in view of last week's attack on the US Capitol, you may wish to express your views on the way forward to your Senators and Representative. Here's how to do so. 

To find and contact your US Senator:

  1. Visit the Senate website.
  2. Conduct a search using the Find Your Senators pull-down menu in the upper right corner (select your state and click Go).
  3. On the results page is a link to the Senators’ website, contact information, and links to an online contact form (forms vary by Senator).

To find and contact your US Representative:

  1. Visit the House of Representatives website.
  2. Conduct a search using the Find Your Representative zip code search box in the upper right corner (enter your zip code and click Go).
  3. On the results page is a photo of your Representative(s), links to the Representative’s personal website and online contact form, and a local map.
  4. If your zip code overlaps with multiple congressional districts, the results page will include boxes for you to enter your zip code+4 or mailing address to find the correct Representative.

Source: Contact Your US Senators and Representatives, American Library Association, April 21, 2014 (accessed January 13, 2021).

What FAWCO does

FAWCO’s US Voting Committee operates under the US Liaison, and encourages and assists US overseas citizens to participate in every federal election for which they are eligible by providing a dedicated website and information and training to volunteers in FAWCO member clubs, and helping with publicity. The Committee also works to reduce the barriers to voting from overseas imposed by federal and state legislation, through such means as Overseas Americans Week and work with partners such as the US Vote Foundation and FVAP. It publishes monthly articles on the FAWCO website, and summarizes and links to them in News in Brief and the US Liaison Bulletin.

In 2020, FAWCO has provided information and advice here, but also promoted overseas voting:

To help FAWCO in this work, get better information for your club or community, and to arrange a virtual workshop for your club, contact the Chair of the US Voting Committee ().

Why vote from overseas?

Overseas Americans often complain that US law ignores or unintentionally harms us. While voter turnout in the US is much worse than that in many developed countries (around 65% seems to be cause for celebration), however, turnout for overseas Americans voters is only 4% – if we do not bother to speak, why should lawmakers listen to our concerns? 

Our country needs to hear our voices – not just in the choice of President and Vice-President, and senators and representatives in Congress, but in state and local offices (in states that permit us to vote on them). Living as we do, in daily contact with the world outside the US and functioning as informal ambassadors for our country, we have unique insights to offer. And now that many political races are decided by small margins, we have a better chance to be heard than ever before. Seize this chance: vote in every year in which elections are held, and help other overseas Americans to do so. 

FAWCO's US Voting Committee encourages and assists US overseas citizens to participate in every federal election for which they are eligible by providing a dedicated website and information and training to volunteers in FAWCO member clubs, and helping with publicity. The Committee also works to reduce the barriers to voting from overseas imposed by federal and state legislation.

To get involved or to ask questions, contact the US Voting Committee Chair at .

Register to vote

To register to vote, visit the US Vote Foundation.