General Discussion

The millions of U.S. citizens living abroad love their country and are committed to taking part in American democracy despite the complexity and personal costs they must shoulder simply to request and cast a ballot.

Yesterday, that commitment to the democratic process was threatened by Republicans. The House of Representatives passed the SAVE America ACT, which if implemented, would cause voters living abroad — myself included — to effectively lose our right to make our voices heard.

And, as dangerous as it is, the measure isn’t the only GOP move that would restrict voting for Americans living abroad.

The “SAVE America Act” is a rebranded version of the anti-voter SAVE Act, and its new name should not fool anyone. It retains the most extreme provisions of the original proposal and goes even further, imposing requirements that would block millions of eligible Americans from voting, including nearly every American living and serving abroad.

Under the bill, voters would be required to provide proof of U.S. citizenship in person when registering to vote. Voters would also need to provide proof of state residency, and submit photo ID and citizenship documents not only when they register and request a ballot, but also when they cast a ballot. For U.S. citizens abroad, these requirements are not just inconvenient; they would be nearly impossible to comply with.

In 2024, more than 1.3 million Americans living abroad received ballots as abroad voters under long-standing federal law. These voters include military service members stationed abroad, diplomats, missionaries, students, retirees and Americans whose careers or families have taken them beyond U.S. borders. Requiring in-person registration inside the United States, combined with repeated documentation demands at multiple stages of the voting process, would almost entirely shut U.S. citizens living abroad out of elections.