Military families, veterans, caregivers, and overseas voters deserve secure access to the very democracy we serve to protect — no matter where we’re stationed or how we serve. The March 25, 2025 Executive Order undermines this foundation.
This new order would mean that the veteran who is a full-time caretaker at home, who has done everything right, may now be shut out of the ballot box due to outdated paperwork. This new order would mean that the military family stationed on the other side of the world from home, who crossed every t and dotted every i — their military ID will no longer suffice, and due to mail delays outside of their control, their ballot will never count.
This new order unlawfully seeks to impose burdensome barriers on U.S. citizens just trying to exercise their constitutional right to vote by requiring redundant paperwork, and by shrinking the timeline in which we can return our ballots.
Generations of people throughout American history have fought to establish and preserve the right to vote for every American. Black Americans, Indigenous Americans, communities of color, and women especially have taken on this fight facing violence and at times death. Decades of advocacy has resulted in robust laws governing voter registration, identification, and the transmission of ballots to voters who are active-duty military and overseas citizens. Each state has a rigorous system of checks and balances that ensures only eligible U.S. citizens are voting. State Boards of Elections verify the identity and eligibility of voters by cross-referencing their information (like ID numbers, signature marching, etc.) against existing databases, well in advance before Election Day.
These additional mandates fix a problem that doesn’t exist — while introducing new risks of disenfranchisement. We urge Congress, state election officials, and secretaries of state to reject these unlawful and unnecessary federal mandates, and protect the systems that ensure military and overseas voters can cast their ballots. Military families are watching—and we’ll continue to speak out against any effort that undermines our voting rights.
Those who have served this country shouldn’t face new barriers to the very rights they defended in and out of uniform.