In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day today, this is a re-post of an earlier blog article on voting from overseas. If you are an American citizen living in Portugal or another country, you can vote in U.S. elections. Don't sit the 2024 election year out!
This article was first published on July 15, 2022, before I moved to Portugal.
Portugal continues to be at the top of best-places-to-retire-abroad lists. This got my attention when I retired three years ago as a midlife woman of 59. I was intrigued by the thought of lowering my living expenses, and the possibility of being able to afford to live on the ocean as a single retiree. The month I spent living in Portugal in 2019 convinced me it’s the country for me to move to in retirement. After returning home, I planned to save money and move to Portugal at 65. But when my house sold unexpectedly late last year, I realized I could move this fall, three years ahead of plan. Each month I will share a Midlife Expat Learning post here as I navigate the complex process of immigrating to Portugal.
Living in Portugal won’t be all beaches and wine. OK…yeah…it will be a lot of that. But it will also be important to stay connected with people back home. Now more than ever, that connection includes protecting them by voting in all elections. People living in foreign countries still can vote in U.S. state and national elections as citizens of the United States.
The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) is a program of the U.S. Department of Defense that works to help military members, their eligible family members, and overseas citizens vote from anywhere in the world. According to FVAP, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) protects the voting rights of approximately 3 million U.S. citizens living overseas, as well as members of the military and their eligible family members.
“FVAP suggests making it a goal to register and request your absentee ballot with the FPCA (Federal Post Card Application) by August 1st of every election year. Using the FPCA ensures that your state will send your ballot to you at least 45 days before the election — a protection not guaranteed when using other absentee voting forms. When you use the FPCA, you can also select to have your blank ballot sent to you electronically to speed up the process.”
Federal Voting Assistance Program
Expatriate vs. Ex-patriot
I’ve noticed some confusion about these terms among a certain segment of folks — often those who like to wear flag and “patriot” apparel, but have never actually volunteered to serve their country in the military…or in any capacity. Just to clarify: Expatriate is not ex-patriot — they are two different terms. “Expat” is short for the noun form of the word “expatriate,” which can be used as a verb or an adjective too. When I move to Portugal I will be an expat resident, not an ex-citizen or an ex-supporter of my country’s people. I will continue to show my support by voting in U.S. elections from overseas.
A true “patriot” loves and supports their country’s people. All the people.
Image source: Merriam-Webster
Image source: Merriam-Webster
Image source: Unknown
Voting in state elections is critical. Expats can vote in U.S. state elections.
Stay Tuned
Moving to another country is a complex process, and information can change quickly without notice. Everyone’s experience can be different. I’m remembering to take it all in stride, stay flexible, prepared, pivot-ready, and positive. Stay tuned. Thank you for reading!
Midlife Expat Learning Posts
February: Residency visa requirements
March: Finding housing in Portugal
April: Taxes & Money in Portugal
May: World Portuguese Language Day
June: Healthcare in Portugal (postponed). See Cutting expenses to move abroad
July: Voting as an expat
August: Visa application timeline and expenses
September: Moving logistics
October: Meeting folks, making friends
November: Food, shopping in Portugal
December: Christmas in Portugal
(2019 photo)
Featured image from Pexels Free Photo Library
The Hot Goddess
Instagram: retired_rewired_inspired
If you enjoyed this please remember to Share, Like, Follow, Comment, Subscribe. (This is my “call to action” I’m supposed to include in every post. Thanks so much for your support!) ❤
Copyright ©️ 2021-2024 thehotgoddess.com. All rights reserved.
The Hot Goddess 
Oh, I can’t love this post more Natalie. I especially loved how you phrased fulfilling your voting duty/responsibility by describing it as “protecting” others. Love that. I loved too how you clarified the differences between an expat and ex-patriot. In my experience, expatriates tend to be some of the most patriotic people I know. They have very clear ideas on the rest of the world and what separates the US and its people from other countries. I would add too that simply wearing a flag has little in my mind with being a patriot. I find those folks care little about others and tend to be very hawkish with the military, but wouldn’t dream of serving or helping anyone themselves. Really kind of sad. I’ll stop here so that I don’t get too political, but I really appreciated your post! Thank you!
LikeLiked by 3 people
I am right with you on so-called “patriots,” Brian. Thank you for these comments and taking time to share your thoughts. As a proud expatriate and world citizen, I know the best way to honor my birth country and its people is to vote. It was in my lifetime that my family members were denied the right to vote because of the color of their skin. Voting is a duty and a freedom we cannot take for granted, especially as certain political factions continue to try to erode that right and circumvent the process.
LikeLiked by 2 people
FVAP is a great program and I used it a few times while living overseas. Your posts are very informative. At one time we were thinking about moving to Spain but decided to stay in the states after my retirement. I’m 50, so maybe we still have time to do it in 10-15 years. Thank you for the information and experiences that you are sharing with us.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much for reading and commenting, Edward. I appreciate your feedback and am happy you’re finding these posts informative. When I was a young 50 it never crossed my mind to move overseas. I was 62 when I moved…61 when I started preparing…59 when I first started thinking about it. You have time 😁.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for this great information on voting as an expat. I agree voting is patriotic and a way to get the laws that need to change.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Absolutely! Thanks so much for commenting, and I’m glad you agree.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I admire your connection and intentions to keep voting! Gone but not forgotten!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely!
LikeLike
[…] was able to get online while I was traveling to check the status of my overseas ballot, which I returned to the U.S. before my trip. I was so excited to see confirmation that my voted […]
LikeLiked by 1 person