DNC sues Trump administration over voting changes for Americans abroad

On October 1, 2026, the Democratic National Committee filed a lawsuit against the Donald Trump administration, alleging that the Department of Defense used a manufactured emergency to secretly alter overseas voter registration forms. The change eliminated a checkbox used since 2013 by U.S. citizens who have never resided in the country. While 38 states allow these citizens to vote, Republicans have targeted the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to restrict them, sparking concerns of voter disenfranchisement.

Allegations in the DNC lawsuit

• ▪The Democratic National Committee's October 1, 2026 lawsuit alleges the Donald Trump administration secretly changed a postcard used by overseas U.S. citizens to register to vote without giving proper notice
• ▪The Democratic National Committee's October 1, 2026 lawsuit alleges that the Donald Trump administration used a manufactured emergency to justify impeding the voting rights of overseas U.S. citizens

Department of Defense form changes

• ▪The Department of Defense eliminated a specific box on the overseas voter registration postcard used since 2013 that is typically checked by potential voters who are U.S. citizens but have never lived in the United States
• ▪A checkbox for U.S. citizens who have never lived in the United States had appeared on postcards sent to overseas voters since 2013
• ▪Advocates for U.S. citizens overseas stated that the Department of Defense's changes to the federal voter-registration form may cause confusion among eligible voters and local election offices
• ▪The Department of Defense used an emergency measure to make changes to the federal voter-registration form used by U.S. service members and citizens residing outside the country

Voters who never lived in America

• ▪An estimated 11,500 Americans overseas who had never lived in the United States cast ballots in 2016, a number that the Democratic National Committee contends has likely grown
• ▪Some overseas voters who have never lived in the United States are already registered and are due to receive ballots for November 2026

Republican legal challenges

• ▪Republicans have filed lawsuits in multiple states to prevent overseas voters who have never lived in the United States from casting ballots, winning in North Carolina but not succeeding in other states like Michigan
• ▪Republicans have targeted overseas voters who have never lived in the United States because those voters typically support Democrats

Targeting the overseas Voting Act

• ▪The Republican Party has targeted the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act because Democratic-leaning civilians overseas have out-voted Republican-leaning military members in recent years
• ▪The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act requires that civilians living overseas be given the same opportunity to cast ballots as military members living overseas

Children of citizens abroad

• ▪Thirty-eight states allow children of U.S. citizens who have never lived in the United States to cast ballots provided they have close family connections
• ▪A 28-year-old daughter of U.S. citizen Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat has never resided in the United States but votes regularly from Munich

Debatable claims

• ▪Federal law protecting overseas voters goes too far in covering civilians
• ▪The Pentagon's emergency change to the overseas voter registration form is justified
• ▪Overseas citizens who never lived in the U.S. should be allowed to vote