An American citizen living in Kingston, Ont., says her mail-in ballot is being challenged, and she’s not alone.
Ellen Turcotte is a semi-retired English teacher who has voted in every U.S. election since turning 18 over 50 years ago.
“I have not taken this right to vote for granted, but it certainly has hit me smack in the face right now that we can’t take anything for granted, and that is our right in a democracy. We have to protect them. We absolutely have to protect them,” Turcotte said.
Despite moving to Canada over 45 years ago, getting married and starting a family here, she is only a permanent resident and maintains her U.S. citizenship as her only citizenship.
She says she has never had an issue voting in her home state of Pennsylvania through mail-in ballot until now.
“My ballot was received over a month ago. On Saturday morning, I received an email informing me that my absentee ballot has been challenged,” she says.
She says the email she received said she was not a registered voter and did not live in the state, making her ineligible to vote.
“I am registered to vote, and I am an American citizen,” she says.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania’s legal director, citizenship gives Americans the freedom to vote, whether they live here or abroad.
Witold Walczak says a federal law passed nearly 40 years ago enshrined that right for all living abroad. Those living abroad permanently can vote in federal elections. The place of residency they use is their last known U.S. address.
According to the ACLU, Turcotte is not alone in having her vote challenged.
The organization reports that about 3,600 overseas voters who register to vote in Pennsylvania have had the validity of their vote challenged.
“Election deniers across Pennsylvania have submitted thousands of mass challenges to overseas voters because they want to block as many ballots as possible and silence our voices,” said Deborah Hinchey, the Pennsylvania state director of All Voting is Local.
Turcotte has emailed a challenge to the Board of Voter Services in Pennsylvania asserting that she is an American citizen and a registered voter.
She says she is confident her vote will be counted but says what’s happening here sends an important message about the need to vote.
“I feel it’s important for everyone here in Canada to know what’s happening. I’m not the only American who is going to have trouble with this election having our vote heard. Living in a democracy and having the right to vote is very important to me and should be important to Canadians, not just to take this for granted,” Turcotte said.
“I want to make sure that other Americans living in Canada who are undecided about voting, please, every vote does count, especially in this election.”