Voting Abroad: How to Vote in the US Elections from Italy
Photo Credit: Parker Johnson
In light of all that’s happening in the world, it’s even more important that we let our voices be heard and exercise our right to vote. Our voices and our votes can make a big difference. Together we can help shape the candidates’ and congress members’ views on important issues like women’s rights, malnutrition, global poverty, healthcare, public safety, racial equality, LGBTQ rights and all things we truly care about.
Black Lives Matter Movement
Take for example the Former U.S. President Barack Obama’s address on the Black Lives Matter movement and his call to use the urgency of the protest for George Floyd to start a real change in the United States.
"Let me begin by acknowledging that although all of us have been feeling pain, uncertainty, disruption, some folks have been feeling it more than others. Most of all, the pain that's been experienced by the families of George and Breonna, Ahmaud, and Tony and Dreasjon, and too many others to mention,” he said in his address.
"In some ways as tragic as these past few weeks have been, as difficult and scary and uncertain as they've been, they've also been an incredible opportunity for people to be awakened to some of these underlying trends," said the former U.S. President. "And they offer an opportunity for us to all work together to tackle, to take them on, to change America and make it live up to its highest ideals."
Sparking a real change
His address does not only talk about George Floyd and the black lives matter movement, but he also urged the mayors in the country to review and propose reforms to improve the nation’s law enforcement agencies and to refine the relationship and trust between the police and the people they protect.
In his Medium post, he said, “If we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both. We have to mobilize to raise awareness, and we have to organize and cast our ballots to make sure that we elect candidates who will act on reform.”
This means that if we want our voices to be heard and if we truly want to make a change, then it all starts with us. By amplifying our voices and by being more specific with what we ask for in terms of police reform and criminal justice reform, we hold our elected officials accountable to move and make the changes we want to see in the world.
How Can We Create Change?
We should exercise our right to vote, let our voices be heard, and be part of the change. Our voices are powerful enough to protect the things we care about, change the things that we don’t agree on, and shed light on issues that should be brought forward.
As the 2020 election is near, it’s high time we evaluate our choices to make wise decisions and cast our votes wisely. Remember that it’s in our hands to put the right people in authority to make and ask for change. It’s in their hands to put all of those into actions to make the community better .
Out of the States? You can still vote.
The good thing is that you don’t have to be in the U.S. to vote. You can still vote wherever you are in the world. To vote for the state or local elections, citizens abroad should submit their new FPCA at the beginning of the year (as states no longer automatically send ballots to voters for an entire election cycle), or at least forty-five days before the election in order to have enough time for the processing.
Submitting a new FPCA at the start of each calendar year is recommended by the US State Department, so you can still receive all relevant ballots sent to you. Once you’re approved, you will be on the list of voters who’ll receive the absentee ballots. For more information please click here.
If you want to request your overseas absentee ballot, you can also click here for easy access.
If you want to verify your registration, or if you are unsure of your registration status, you can go to the FVAP website to access the directory of state voter registration verification certificates.
In Italy. How can I vote in the US elections?
If you are specifically in Italy and want to vote in the elections, you can do the steps we mentioned above about submitting a new FPCA to keep receiving ballots sent to you. Once you’re done, you can print, sign, and send the form to your state election office, after which you can expect your ballot electronically or by mail 30-45 days before the vote.
You can also check out Democrats Abroad if you’re an American living outside the United States. They have a total of 44 country committees throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia which allows Americans abroad to stay informed or up to date with their rights and help them participate in the U.S. political process, giving them a democratic voice in the government. You can check their Facebook page and their website to be updated with the Global Convention & Global Meeting roundup report and their future events.
For republicans residing outside of the US they can visit Republicans Overseas.
Conclusion
Wherever you are in the world, it is important for us to vote and speak our minds. Our votes matter and will greatly affect us, most especially during these times where we need the elected representatives to listen to what we want and where we stand on important matters, such as healthcare, police reform, criminal justice, public safety, and more.
We should not stay silent, and we shouldn’t be silenced. Our vote is not only our choice, but it is our hopes and our prayers. Remember that our votes will not only affect us in the present but will also affect our children and future generations in the years to come.
So, let’s take our votes to the heart!
Let’s register, educate ourselves, exercise our rights to vote, and let our voices be heard. After all, change starts within us.
WE CAN BE THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD
Disclaimer: We did our best to provide accurate and pertinent information in this post. If you see info that needs modifying/updating, please let us know.
