Americans living in Luxembourg will have an opportunity to ensure that their votes count this year by requesting their absentee ballots on Wednesday. Just before the celebrations on the eve of National Day, a team of volunteers in the centre of Luxembourg City will help any US citizen complete and send the form that guarantees the right to vote in 2016. Democrats Abroad Luxembourg, the official arm of the Democratic Party of the United States in Luxembourg, will provide the service from a covered pavilion at the junction of the Grand Rue and Rue des Capuchins from 09:00 - 17:00.
Teams all over the world are registering voters using the www.votefromabroad.org website, which helps Americans navigate the varying requirements for each US state. Unlike many European nationals, Americans living abroad must request their absentee ballots for each election cycle, making the Democrats Abroad 2016 registration drive particularly important.
“Americans living in Luxembourg may not be aware that they have the right to vote and that their absentee ballots will be counted.” said Will Bakker, Democrats Abroad Country Chair for Luxembourg. “Requesting a ballot now ensures that we receive our absentee ballots as soon as they are available, and if there are any issues, there’s plenty of time to resolve them.”
Democrats Abroad has a global team of voting experts who can answer questions and even take up unusual cases. The service is non-partisan and will help any American living outside the United States and its territories.
“We have enough expertise and training here in Luxembourg to sort out almost all the questions we get,” said Bakker, “So Wednesday is a great day for Americans to drop by. Everyone is welcome and we won’t ask whether you’re a Democrat before we help you!”
Earlier this year, Democrats Abroad conducted a Global Presidential Primary that included in-person voting in Luxembourg. Those who voted in that primary do not automatically receive an absentee ballot for the general election in November, which requires a separate request to the home state of each US citizen.
