Pentagon alters overseas absentee ballot forms amid GOP voting-restriction push

Just weeks before the September 19 deadline for states to issue midterm ballots, the Pentagon’s Federal Voting Assistance Program filed emergency requests to revise two federal absentee-voting forms used by overseas Americans and military families. The updates removed a checkbox that allowed voters to indicate they have never lived in the United States, limiting responses to sworn declarations about returning or uncertainty.

Critics say the change will likely create more confusion for never-resided voters, a group that many states allow to vote through a parent or guardian’s prior residence. Republican officials have been challenging state laws that permit such voting, claiming it disadvantages their candidates, with mixed court outcomes across several states. While the Pentagon asserts the revisions are meant to clarify eligibility, advocates argue the timing and lack of outreach will hinder overseas participation. State officials can continue to accept the previous versions of the forms, but the new federal guidance has already been posted and communicated via email.