Morelle Led Democrats in Highlighting the Need to Protect Access to the Ballot Box for American Voters Abroad

WASHINGTON - Rep. Joe Morelle (NY-25), the top Democrat on the Committee on House Administration, emphasized the need to ensure every eligible American voter, whether living in the United States on Election Day or not, have the right to cast a ballot and have their vote counted during an oversight hearing on the Federal Voting Assistance Program.

"At an April hearing, we heard testimony about service members and their spouses never receiving their ballots, others paying out of pocket for a courier service to return their ballot from abroad when they could not access the mail system, and families stationed in Japan, whose mail routinely takes six to eight weeks to arrive," said Ranking Member Morelle. "And in addition, I spent time along with Chairman Steil in both Japan and in Korea, where we met with members of the United States Army about the challenges they faced in receiving ballots. So, we could, and we should be, working in a bipartisan way to improve access to the ballot for military and overseas voters."

Ranking Member Morelle also called out the President and House Republicans' attack on the ability of U.S. military service members stationed abroad and Americans living overseas to register to vote in U.S. elections.  

"The SAVE Act and the President's illegal anti-voting executive order would fundamentally disrupt American elections and severely impact the ability of military and overseas voters to vote. For instance, their agenda, their bills and the executive order would end mail and online voter registration," said Ranking Member Morelle.

During the hearing, Ranking Member Morelle also entered into the record a letter from U.S. Vote Foundation, Secure Families Initiative, Blue Star Families, the Association of Americans Resident Overseas, the American Citizens Abroad, and the Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas, as well as a letter from the Vet Voice Foundation urging opposition to the SAVE Act and outlining ways in which it would create barriers to the ballot box for overseas voters.

Watch the entire Committee hearing here.

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