Vote from abroad campaign encourages participation

Lailuma Sadid
Credit: Belga / Eric Lalmand

Belgium (The Brussels Morning newspaper): Vote From Abroad campaign promotes US citizens residing in Belgium to register and vote, providing help for absentee ballots. There are sessions available for assistance, despite misconception that overseas voting does not influence elections.

A betting on the polls and research that show that around 6.5 million US citizens living outside their country can vote has led to a certain campaign urging Belgium-based voters to enlist themselves in the electoral process. Despite being funded by Democrats Abroad, the Vote From Abroad movement is unbiased and helps all American voters who meet the qualifications to register and receive absentee ballots. For three decades, it has been operating as Vote From Abroad which provides extensive help and direction to USA citizens, with the availability of volunteers who lend a hand in case of any problems faced when registering or voting. 

How can U.S. citizens in Belgium vote? 

Some folks don’t know they can vote or think they shouldn’t since they’ve been away for a while. But living abroad, we still feel the effects of US policies. It’s important to realize we’re impacted and have the right to voice our opinions on US matters. In simple terms, people in Belgium will get their voting ballots earlier than those in the US because of the 45-day rule before the election. In easy terms, more people in the US vote compared to those living abroad. Even though the overseas vote is small, it has influenced election outcomes in the past, according to Evans.

“Some states have more overseas voters than others. If more people send back their ballots, it could make a difference in more states,” she explains. If you’re a US citizen in Belgium and want to register to vote, just go to votefromabroad.org for help. Evans mentioned that every Tuesday evening in September, they will have “Zoom to Vote” sessions. In these sessions, people can join a live call to get one-on-one help with voting.

About Us

Brussels Morning is a daily online newspaper based in Belgium. BM publishes unique and independent coverage on international and European affairs. With a Europe-wide perspective, BM covers policies and politics of the EU, significant Member State developments, and looks at the international agenda with a European perspective.
Share This Article
Lailuma Sadid is a former diplomat in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Embassy to the kingdom of Belgium, in charge of NATO. She attended the NATO Training courses and speakers for the events at NATO H-Q in Brussels, and also in Nederland, Germany, Estonia, and Azerbaijan. Sadid has is a former Political Reporter for Pajhwok News Agency, covering the London, Conference in 2006 and Lisbon summit in 2010.
The Brussels Morning Newspaper Logo

Subscribe for Latest Updates