The 2024 presidential election could profoundly reshape the U.S. and global political landscape, and for American students studying abroad, their vote holds just as much weight as those back home. Yet navigating the absentee voting process from another country can feel overwhelming. With so much at stake in this election, it’s more important than ever for study-abroad students to ensure their votes are counted. NYU has a crucial role to play in supporting its students through this process, and while the resources they provide can be inconsistent between campuses, it’s still important that students take advantage of these tools.
In the 2020 general election, nearly 4 million U.S. citizens were living abroad, 62% of which were eligible voters. Of those, 336,155 people requested an absentee ballot, yet just 224,139 absentee votes were cast. Overseas voters play a crucial role in determining election outcomes, especially in swing states where margins are razor thin. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens will be sending in their votes for the 2024 election from out of the country — including the two astronauts who will be voting from space.
Unlike students voting in person or by mail in the United States, study-away students face a different and intimidating process to vote absentee, which requires them to fill out a Federal Post Card Application to request a ballot. After completing the ballot, they can either drop it off at a U.S. consulate or embassy free of charge, or pay to return it through a private carrier. But to ensure that their vote arrives on time, students must mail the ballot at least a month early to avoid delay. There are a lot of steps on the way that could prevent someone from having their vote cast in the 2024 election, which is why it’s important that students are well aware of the process beforehand.
While this may sound obvious, it’s especially crucial for NYU study-away sites to support students throughout this stressful and confusing process. Sites like Florence, Shanghai, Madrid and Buenos Aires offer robust resources, such as in-person informational events and embassy presentations. Other campuses — like Abu Dhabi and Paris — provide less thorough assistance.
At NYU Florence, for example, four tabling events were held in the past month, where QR codes and FPCA forms were shared and an NYU Votes presentation on Zoom is in the works. And at NYU Buenos Aires, two representatives from the U.S. embassy came to speak with students about the registration process.
“I was surprised at how many people were not prepared to vote by absentee ballot,” Olivia Place, a junior studying away at the site said. “[So] I’m glad it happened, [and] I feel really supported.”
NYU Accra did a live NYU Votes presentation on Zoom on Sept. 17, and a presentation for NYU London is being arranged. Voting information and resources are available through newsletters and “How to Vote from Abroad” slides that are part of each site’s orientation module.
However, some major study away sites, like NYU Abu Dhabi, lack similar resources which could put students there at a disadvantage.
Senior Amber Ramirez, who’s studying away at the Abu Dhabi campus, shared that while administrators are available to help, the campus has been inconsistent when it comes to sending out voting-related emails. So far, NYU Abu Dhabi has only sent two relevant newsletters, one WhatsApp message and some students received an email from the U.S. embassy in Abu Dhabi about absentee voting week, which outlined the registration process.
For Ramirez, the release of information for voting abroad isn’t made apparent enough to students in Abu Dhabi.
“You either have to look for them or you just have to wait for them to come out,” Ramirez said. “I don’t feel like that’s enough.”
The absence of organized events like those held at NYU’s sites in Florence, Shanghai and Buenos Aires may leave students feeling that they lack a sense of civic engagement and community. It also leaves students confused about who they can contact on campus for immediate assistance.
Study away sites should be providing clearer, streamlined information across all global sites to make the process easier and less intimidating. Pre-recorded informational sessions to brief students on the voting process can be very helpful, as well as regularly sending reminders about deadlines, identifying the nearest consulate or embassy for students and providing staff members who can specifically address questions about voting abroad. One of the most straightforward solutions, if budget allows, would be organizing group trips for students to visit the consulate together. This would ensure that students drop off their ballots on time, without any of the anxiety or uncertainty that is attached to delivering your vote to an American consulate in a foreign country.
Voting is not just a right, it’s a responsibility. As U.S. citizens, we must participate in our democratic process no matter where we are. It’s extremely important to engage and support young voters in order to ensure their voices are heard in this crucial presidential election. By supporting study-away students, many of whom are voting in a presidential election for the first time, NYU can ensure this important demographic is engaged and heard in the electoral process.
WSN’s Opinion section strives to publish ideas worth discussing. The views presented in the Opinion section are solely the views of the writer.
Contact Amanda Chen at [email protected].
