Arlington, VA – December 16, 2024 – U.S. Vote Foundation (US Vote) and Overseas Vote are pleased to announce preliminary findings of their 2024 Voter Experience Survey, conducted between November 5 and December 1, 2024. With over 12,000 respondents, the survey sheds light on the contrasting experiences of domestic and overseas voters in the 2024 General Election, highlighting key trends in voter satisfaction, ease of voting, and political engagement.
Stark Differences in Ease of Voting
Overseas absentee voters faced significantly more challenges in casting their ballots compared to domestic voters. One-quarter (25.5%) of overseas absentee voters reported difficulty or extreme difficulty voting, compared to just 7.9% of domestic absentee voters and 5.8% of those who voted in person at polling stations on Election Day.
Decline in Satisfaction Across All Groups
Satisfaction with the voting experience has decreased since the 2020 election across all voter groups. While domestic absentee voters reported an 85.0% satisfaction rate and polling-place voters 87.2%, satisfaction among overseas absentee voters lagged behind at 72.4%. These figures indicate a need for further improvements in the overseas voting process.
Higher Political Interest Among Overseas Voters
Despite facing more challenges, overseas absentee voters demonstrated heightened political interest. A striking 62.2% of overseas voters reported high interest in American politics, compared to 53.0% of domestic absentee voters and 46.0% of Election Day voters. This finding underscores the strong engagement of U.S. citizens abroad, even amidst lower confidence in the voting process.
Confidence in Ballot Counting Remains High
Over three-quarters of respondents (77.0%) expressed extreme or moderate confidence that their votes would be counted. Confidence among domestic absentee voters was the highest at 88.1%, followed by 79.3% among overseas absentee voters. These figures reflect the progress made in addressing voter concerns while highlighting areas for further focus.
Ballot Access and Return Rates for Overseas Voters
Among overseas voters, email remained the predominant method of ballot receipt (66.8%), with nearly two-thirds (62.9%) receiving their ballots more than four weeks before Election Day. A vast majority (95.6%) successfully returned their ballots, but challenges persist: 4.8% reported not receiving their ballot, and a small fraction (0.5%) received their ballot too late to vote.
A Call for Continued Progress
“While satisfaction and confidence remain high among all voters, our survey results highlight the ongoing need to bridge the gap between domestic and overseas voting experiences,” said Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat, President and CEO of U.S. Vote Foundation. “The U.S. has made strides in improving overseas voting access, but these results underscore the importance of streamlining the process further to ensure every vote counts, no matter where it is cast.”
The complete and final U.S. Vote Foundation 2024 Post Election Voter Experience Survey report is expected to be published in early 2025. The final report will expound in detail on the aspects of the voting process that caused voters difficulties. The findings will further illuminate where election administrators and law makers can focus when considering reforms and improvements to the voting process.
Survey Methodology
The 2024 Voter Experience Survey collected responses from 12,000+ voters, with 60.9% residing outside the U.S., 33.2% within the U.S., and 4% splitting time between the two. Data from the survey offers valuable insights to drive policy improvements and enhance voter satisfaction in future elections.
“U.S. Vote Foundation has carried out Post-Election Voter Experience surveys since 2004. These surveys consistently have the largest sample size of any survey of overseas American voters. These are robust results,” stated Amanda Klekowski von Koppenfels, PhD, KvK Consulting and Coaching.
About U.S. Vote Foundation
U.S. Vote Foundation (US Vote) is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to providing voter services to domestic, overseas, and military voters. Its mission is to facilitate the ability of every U.S. citizen to participate in elections.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat
[email protected]
+1 (202) 470-2480