Short stories from overseas voters
17 Americans living abroad told us why they cared enough about American democracy to navigate the extra steps (and in some cases hurdles) of voting from afar. They told us in detail about how they became informed about an election, how they decided to take part in it, and even the logistics of how voting worked in the state they were registered in.
We focused specifically on individual overseas voters, who often have little help when it comes to figuring out how to vote from wherever they live. (As opposed to military members and their families who may have more resources to help navigate the process.)
Short stories from overseas voters
Download report (PDF)Key findings
Overseas voters do a lot of work to vote, often for little return.
All but two of our participants described feelings that ranged from slightly confused to extremely disappointed. But despite the problems they encountered, voters remained determined to cast a ballot.
Understanding the ballot is hard, even if you’re engaged in US politics and news
A few participants explained that when they don’t have connections to a state or even a country, trying to vote is complicated. On one hand, they know it’s important. But on the other, they don’t know so much of the context it requires to make an educated decision. In the end, it creates more anxiety when trying to vote.
Some overseas voters know their local clerk. Sometimes, they’re even friends.
The most successful overseas voting experiences we heard about involved voters reaching out to clerks for personalized instructions on what they needed to do to vote.
Overseas voters want to know their vote is valued.
Several participants we spoke to weren’t sure all the trouble they went through was valued. They had a great deal of doubt about whether or not their vote was actually counted.
Voting mechanisms that work in the US don’t always work for voters overseas.
We heard many times that international mail was unreliable. Even if it did function for the overseas voters we spoke to, many participants didn’t trust it and used expensive couriers that could provide confirmation that their ballot was delivered.
About the research
This research was conducted by Christopher Patten.
Participants completed a short survey that invited them to opt into a longer interview.
We collected stories from 17 Americans living abroad. They lived in Australia, Mexico, Holland, Hong Kong, Fiji, Finland, Thailand, Vietnam, Morocco, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kenya, Peru, Rwanda, Berlin, Australia, and London. From those locations, they voted in Illinois, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Texas, Ohio, Colorado, Florida, Connecticut, Michigan, Georgia, California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Arizona.
Related resources
Visit our page on vote by mail to find more resources about designing envelopes, instructions and other materials that voters interact with during their vote by mail process.
Read an article about this work, including reflections on why we gather stories about voters.
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