General Discussion

question everything

(47,504 posts) Sat Dec 30, 2017, 08:24 PM Dec 2017

If someone votes overseas, how does the vote count as far as electoral college?

I am talking about citizens living abroad who would vote in the local embassy, who do not have a U.S. address.

I suppose the military would count according to their home in the U.S.?

Curious. Talked to someone who wished a family member voted last year. For Hillary, of course.

9 replies

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If someone votes overseas, how does the vote count as far as electoral college? (Original Post) question everything Dec 2017 OP

The state they are registered in. Agschmid Dec 2017 #1

But if they no longer live in this country? question everything Dec 2017 #2

Yes. Igel Dec 2017 #3

Thanks. That's a lot of useful information (nt) question everything Dec 2017 #5

Beware- your former state of residence may try and collect income taxes Fiendish Thingy Dec 2017 #4

I think that it started with the Obama administration that all U.S. citizens living abroad question everything Dec 2017 #6

No, they've always had to pay income tax on anything over $90,000 a year. meadowlander Dec 2017 #7

Quite confusing. Glad I don't have to deal with this question everything Dec 2017 #8

No that's been in place forever Fiendish Thingy Dec 2017 #9

Agschmid

(28,749 posts)

1. The state they are registered in.

Reply to question everything (Original post)

Sat Dec 30, 2017, 08:25 PM

Dec 2017

question everything

(47,504 posts)

2. But if they no longer live in this country?

Reply to Agschmid (Reply #1)

Sat Dec 30, 2017, 09:03 PM

Dec 2017

They do not have a local address beyond of what they had some 30 years ago?

Igel

(35,323 posts)

3. Yes.

Reply to question everything (Reply #2)

Sat Dec 30, 2017, 09:30 PM

Dec 2017

It's their state of (last) legal residence.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/while-abroad/voting.html

For voting purposes, your state of legal residence is generally the state where you resided immediately before leaving the United States, even if you no longer own or rent property or intend to return in the future. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia specifically allow U.S. citizens who have never resided in the United States to register where a parent would be eligible to vote.

Yes, if you're born abroad to US citizens you can still register to vote in US elections.

https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter/reside gives the states that allow this. Then it depends on the last legal domicile of their parent or guardian.

No, I have no idea what happens to those US citizens who are born to citizens last domiciled in states that do not allow these people to vote. Perhaps they're like Puerto Ricans or Guamanians at that point. I'm not sure that I think of "citizenship" as sufficient qualification to vote in all circumstances, though. If you're 30 and never lived in the US, electing the person who's going to help run what is for you a completely foreign country seems squirrelly to me.

question everything

(47,504 posts)

5. Thanks. That's a lot of useful information (nt)

Reply to Igel (Reply #3)

Sat Dec 30, 2017, 11:23 PM

Dec 2017

Fiendish Thingy

(15,644 posts)

4. Beware- your former state of residence may try and collect income taxes

Reply to question everything (Original post)

Sat Dec 30, 2017, 10:08 PM

Dec 2017

I tried to register as a former California resident living in Canada, and got that warning...

question everything

(47,504 posts)

6. I think that it started with the Obama administration that all U.S. citizens living abroad

Reply to Fiendish Thingy (Reply #4)

Sat Dec 30, 2017, 11:24 PM

Dec 2017

have to pay federal income tax.

meadowlander

(4,399 posts)

7. No, they've always had to pay income tax on anything over $90,000 a year.

Reply to question everything (Reply #6)

Sat Dec 30, 2017, 11:27 PM

Dec 2017

Obama started making expatriots declare all of their bank accounts on their tax return but expats have had to file tax returns and pay taxes for at least as long as I've been overseas (since 2003).

question everything

(47,504 posts)

8. Quite confusing. Glad I don't have to deal with this

Reply to meadowlander (Reply #7)

Sun Dec 31, 2017, 12:07 AM

Dec 2017

but CPAs can still have enough for making a living

Fiendish Thingy

(15,644 posts)

9. No that's been in place forever

Reply to question everything (Reply #6)

Sun Dec 31, 2017, 02:23 AM

Dec 2017

The US is one of only two nations that collects taxes based on citizenship, not residence.

I'm talking about states collecting STATE income taxes, not federal, when a former resident attempts to register to vote.

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