Don’t Let Military and Overseas Voters Become the Next Targets for Voter Suppression

October 25, 2024 | Richard Gephardt and Deborah A. McCarthy | Just Security

Casting a ballot and having one’s vote counted in elections are the most essential duty and right that come with U.S. citizenship. This is the case whether you’re born with citizenship or obtain it through naturalization. It is just as true for citizens living in communities in the United States as it is for those stationed or residing overseas. That’s why Congress enacted the bipartisan Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) of 1986, which President Ronald Reagan signed into law that year. This law continues to ensure that all eligible American citizens can participate in federal elections no matter where they are engaged in military or diplomatic service, travel, or residency abroad.

Now, however, a partisan group seeking to undermine faith in U.S. elections and sow mistrust in democracy has perversely enlisted UOCAVA in an effort to limit military and civilian overseas citizens’ ability to vote. It does so by asking a court in Pennsylvania to ignore a crucial piece of the law and effectively disenfranchise thousands of U.S. citizens – some of our greatest patriots among them. …