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Trump Admin Removes “Never Lived” Option From Absentee Forms

By Drooid · Oct 1, 2026, 4:06 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration altered overseas absentee-voting forms before the September 19 deadline.
The revision removed the “never lived in the United States” checkbox, leaving only two response options.
Republican lawsuits to block never-resided voters succeeded in North Carolina but failed in Michigan.
Deputy under secretary Sean O'Keefe warned the new format could confuse voters on eligibility, contrary to Pentagon claims.
Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) emailed officials and voters about the updates without providing further details.

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Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration altered overseas absentee-voting forms before the September 19 deadline.
The revision removed the “never lived in the United States” checkbox, leaving only two response options.
Republican lawsuits to block never-resided voters succeeded in North Carolina but failed in Michigan.
Deputy under secretary Sean O'Keefe warned the new format could confuse voters on eligibility, contrary to Pentagon claims.
Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) emailed officials and voters about the updates without providing further details.