National Voter Registration Day In The US

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National Voter Registration Day In The US

With the US election in November fast approaching the US Vote Foundation is encouraging everyone to register to vote whatever their political views.

National Voter Registration Day is part of the campaign to ensure as many people as possible register to exercise their democratic right to vote.

September 22, 2020 was National Voter Registration Day in the US, which is intended to focus attention on the need to register and vote. They encourage people to tell others about the resources available from U.S. Vote Foundation and Overseas Vote, which is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit, civic organization and therefore a trusted resource for nonpartisan voter services and information for this election.

There is a special section for US expats overseas and in the military on the site. The Overseas Vote (www.overseasvotefoundation.org) initiative has all the equivalent services as those for people still living in the US.

You can get ready for Early Voting, check options for how to Return your Absentee Ballot, or confirm that You Still Have Time to Register and/or Request a Ballot.

All of these options are open to you and none of the deadlines have passed yet – even though voting has already started.

Here are more tools and information that will make your voting easier this year:

• Ballot Return Options – see the ways you can return your ballot
• Early Voting Date Ranges – check for early voting in your state
• Voting Methods and Options – check all the ways you can vote in your state
• Election Dates and Deadlines – these vary by state, check yours
• How-to Voting Videos – how to check if you are registered, request a ballot and more!
• Top 15 Absentee/Vote-by-Mail Questions – get the answers right now!

The mission at the US Vote Foundation is “Every Citizen is a Voter”.

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.