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ACA, Inc. favors the unhindered exercise of voting rights for eligible overseas Americans, whether military or civilian.

ACA has consistently supported defensive legislation and litigants engaged in the business of assuring that this fundamental right be available without excessive bureaucracy. We favor the use of clear, simple and straightforward voting and ballot request documentation, and rigorous procedures enabling confirmation that all ballots voted were properly tabulated. See: Supreme Court Upholds ACA Position on Voting Rights

Unfortunately, thirteen US states refuse to extend voting rights to persons who have never lived in the United States but are US citizens by virtue of the US citizenship of one or both parents. Despite being ineligible to vote, these overseas citizens are subject to all of the tax reporting and payment obligations incumbent upon all other United States citizens, and hence present a textbook case of taxation without representation. ACA advocates for the correction of this inequitable treatment through extension of voting rights by all US states to any US citizen overseas having a parent previously resident in that state, irrespective of whether he or she has ever resided in the US.

As part of ACA’s commitment to Overseas Americans’ Voting issues, ACA sits on the Advisory Board of the US Vote Foundation (www.overseasvote.org) a non-partisan, non-profit voter assistance organization dedicated to helping American citizens overseas and in the military participate in elections. Working with organizations such as US Vote Foundation insures that ACA is doing its upmost to advocate for overseas Americans voting rights. ACA also participates in the annual voting summit held in Washington, DC. 

 

Overseas Voters Bill of Rights

The Overseas Vote Foundation has produced a Voters Bill of Rights, especially designed for US voters overseas. As an American citizen living overseas, either military or civilian, you have a right to vote by absentee ballot in your home state in all US federal elections.