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I'm a US citizen living in Sweden. I still vote in the US, as if I were a resident from where I used to be. In fact, I have a ballot for two municipal offices o

by dalke 11y ago

I'm a US citizen living in Sweden. I still vote in the US, as if I were a resident from where I used to be. In fact, I have a ballot for two municipal offices on my desk right now. (This is the second ballot I've gotten this year. The first was for a school bond. The US has a lot of elections.) In reference to briandear's comment "It is illegal to register to vote in a state in which you aren't resident", that simply isn't correct. However, I don't know what happens with Americans who were born overseas and are citizens because their parents were citizens, but who have never been resident in the US. Ahh, https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter/reside https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter/reside gives details.

Spooky23 11y ago
He's right and wrong. Living in Sweden, you cannot just decide to register to vote in New York City or Minneapolis just because, as you don't meet the criteria to register. But, once registered, you can vote as an absentee indefinitely from wherever you came from. I'm not sure how it works in other situations, but I know that a few of my friends who joined the military moved to Texas and New Hampshire, as the military treats you as a resident of the state in which you enter service for tax purposes.
- dalke 11y ago
  I'll quote briandear more fully: "so while you can just pick a state at random if you want, the fact is that we do not have representation because the representatives from a state represent residents of that state. It is illegal to register to vote in a state in which you aren't resident. To register to vote as an overseas American, you effectively have to commit fraud" None of that is right. You cannot pick a state at random. The representatives are also there to support the overseas voters and citizens. And you do not need to be a physical resident in the state in order to register to vote overseas in the state. Moveover, registering as an overseas voter is not effectively committing fraud. So I disagree with you. briandear was wrong on all points relevant to the snippet I quoted. Otherwise, I think your first two lines make the same points I made.
briandear 11y ago
However that doesn't account for State laws which, many are explicit -- the country in which you reside. I know that isn't how it works in practice, but technically, if you aren't a resident, you aren't a resident -- regardless of your parents.
- dalke 11y ago
  Correct. But you don't need to be a physical resident to vote in a state. (Nor can you pick a state at random.) Here's what the government says, from https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter/additional-info https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter/additional-info : > Citizens residing outside the U.S. may not arbitrarily choose which State to declare as their legal voting residence without meeting the State's residency requirement. The following are basic guidelines to follow in determining voting residency: > * Your "legal State of residence" for voting purposes is the address where you last resided immediately prior to your departure from the U.S. This residence remains valid even though the citizen may no longer own property or have other ties to their last State residence and their intent to return to that State may be uncertain. > * Voting in an election for Federal offices only may not be used as the sole basis to determine residency for the purposes of imposing State and local taxes. If you claim a particular State as your residence and have other ties with that State in addition to voting, then you may be liable for State and local taxation, depending upon that particular State law. Consult your legal counsel for specific questions or situations. The qualifier "for voting purposes" is why there's no fraud.

by dalke 11y ago

Spooky23 11y ago

He's right and wrong. Living in Sweden, you cannot just decide to register to vote in New York City or Minneapolis just because, as you don't meet the criteria to register. But, once registered, you can vote as an absentee indefinitely from wherever you came from. I'm not sure how it works in other situations, but I know that a few of my friends who joined the military moved to Texas and New Hampshire, as the military treats you as a resident of the state in which you enter service for tax purposes.

dalke 11y ago
I'll quote briandear more fully: "so while you can just pick a state at random if you want, the fact is that we do not have representation because the representatives from a state represent residents of that state. It is illegal to register to vote in a state in which you aren't resident. To register to vote as an overseas American, you effectively have to commit fraud" None of that is right. You cannot pick a state at random. The representatives are also there to support the overseas voters and citizens. And you do not need to be a physical resident in the state in order to register to vote overseas in the state. Moveover, registering as an overseas voter is not effectively committing fraud. So I disagree with you. briandear was wrong on all points relevant to the snippet I quoted. Otherwise, I think your first two lines make the same points I made.

briandear 11y ago

However that doesn't account for State laws which, many are explicit -- the country in which you reside. I know that isn't how it works in practice, but technically, if you aren't a resident, you aren't a resident -- regardless of your parents.

dalke 11y ago
Correct. But you don't need to be a physical resident to vote in a state. (Nor can you pick a state at random.) Here's what the government says, from https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter/additional-info https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter/additional-info : > Citizens residing outside the U.S. may not arbitrarily choose which State to declare as their legal voting residence without meeting the State's residency requirement. The following are basic guidelines to follow in determining voting residency: > * Your "legal State of residence" for voting purposes is the address where you last resided immediately prior to your departure from the U.S. This residence remains valid even though the citizen may no longer own property or have other ties to their last State residence and their intent to return to that State may be uncertain. > * Voting in an election for Federal offices only may not be used as the sole basis to determine residency for the purposes of imposing State and local taxes. If you claim a particular State as your residence and have other ties with that State in addition to voting, then you may be liable for State and local taxation, depending upon that particular State law. Consult your legal counsel for specific questions or situations. The qualifier "for voting purposes" is why there's no fraud.