Veterans advocates are sounding alarms over recent Republican-led legal challenges to overseas voting laws, which they argue could disenfranchise U.S. troops stationed abroad as they prepare to cast their votes in the upcoming November elections.
During a media roundtable on Friday, representatives from VoteVets—a group that collaborates closely with the Democratic Party—criticized lawsuits filed by the Republican National Committee (RNC) in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Michigan. These lawsuits question the integrity of overseas ballots, alleging potential fraud.
In Pennsylvania, the lawsuit claims that state officials have allowed overseas voters to bypass verification requirements, thus creating what they label as an illegally structured election process.
Six Republican members of Congress from Pennsylvania have endorsed this challenge. Representative Guy Reschenthaler argued that the current voting procedures unlawfully dilute the ballots of military personnel and their families by permitting questionable votes.
Former President Donald Trump has also echoed these concerns, suggesting that Democrats might exploit the military and overseas voting systems to cheat in elections.
While party officials assert they are not trying to hinder military votes from abroad, Democratic critics argue that the lawsuits lack evidence of fraud and aim to instill confusion and distrust among voters. Janessa Goldbeck, CEO of the Vet Voice Foundation, emphasized that both parties meticulously verify vote counts and ensure accuracy, stating, These baseless allegations undermine public trust in our election system, and worse, target the very people who have sworn to protect our Constitution.
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, enacted in 1986, mandates that states provide absentee voting options for military members, their eligible families, and U.S. citizens residing overseas.
Nearly 3 million American citizens abroad are eligible to vote in the upcoming elections, yet only a small fraction—less than 4%—participated in the 2022 elections.
Absentee ballot rules vary by state but generally require that ballots be received by Election Day to count. Goldbeck pointed out that all states, including Pennsylvania, have stringent laws governing voter registration and ballot transmission, ensuring that only eligible citizens can vote. She refuted claims that the overseas voting process lacks oversight.
With most overseas ballots already dispatched, the ongoing legal battles could complicate matters further. It remains uncertain whether any of these lawsuits will be resolved before Election Day on November 5.