U.S. Citizens abroad had to mail their absentee ballots much earlier than usual due to COVID-related delays. Photo by Obi Onyeador on Unsplash
Madison Pallotti moved to Paris from San Diego, California five years ago for her bachelor’s degree, but that didn’t stop her from voting in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. She and other American citizens abroad voted in record numbers this year. It’s a huge increase, from only 7 percent of eligible overseas voters who returned their ballots in 2016, and less than four percent in 2012.
“I’ve been embarrassed to be an American for the last four years,” Pallotti said. She works as a nanny part time, and her boss isn’t shy about telling her what a mess
American politics are. “It’s always important to vote, but this election is different. Morals, values, and lives are at stake,” she said.
Each election year Pallotti requests her ballot, months in advance, and mails the ballot to California, with time to spare before Election Day. She is one of the millions of Americans living abroad who can vote by mail. The Federal Voting Assistance Program estimates that 3 million eligible voters were living abroad in 2018, equivalent to the population of Colorado.
However, voter participation is typically low among these Americans. Kimberly Perez is a U.S citizen who lives in Milan, Italy. “I’ve been living outside of the U.S for 8 years now, I just don’t see the point, and I think the whole system in America is broken,” she said, explaining why she doesn’t vote.
U.S citizens abroad have to assure their ballot reaches the U.S. as soon as possible. This year, Pallotti purchased an international stamp from her local post office and mailed the ballot to the U.S. directly. Usually, U.S citizens can mail their election materials through their local embassy, but because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, embassies warned that it could take two months or more for the ballot to arrive at its intended destination in the U.S.
Pallotti was able to track her ballot and make sure it was counted. “I’m beyond happy with the election results and can’t wait for January 20th” she said.
Series: Election 2020
