OVER THE WALL
MY ABSENTEE BALLOT
OCT. 15, 2026
My wife and I have been stressing for months over our absentee ballot for the midterm elections on Nov. 3 in the United States. We requested our ballot form in August from Westchester County, N.Y., which remains our legal voting residence for federal elections, registered as our last domicile before we moved to Mexico in 2014.
The Board of Elections confirmed our request and notified us when they sent out the ballots to our email address. The ballots arrived. We filled them out, voting for Cait Conley, our candidate of choice for the House of Representatives, in hopes of unseating Mike Lawler, one of the Trump Administration’s most loyal congressmen.
Then our doubts began. We knew we couldn’t rely on the Mexican postal service; we have gotten Christmas cards mailed from the United States in late February or early March. Without any trips planned to the United States, we couldn’t personally mail the ballots. When one friend with an upcoming trip offered to put them in the U.S. Mail, we initially thought, ‘Okay, that might work.’ But we immediately began to have doubts about that choice, partly because of the confusion over the U.S. Postal Service’s handling of absentee ballots and the Trump administration’s unending attempts to meddle in the postal service’s processes. We have opted to use DHL, which is allowed by the Board of Elections. It’s not cheap, a nearly $60 charge for a basic envelope between Mexico and the United States, but it eliminates our worries that the ballots might not get there in time to be counted. That we even have to worry whether or not the U.S. Post Office can be trusted to deliver our mail begs a question: what has happened to our country?
And that question fuels our determination to vote, and underpins the efforts we are using to be sure our vote gets counted. No matter the cost.
It’s pretty simple.
I believe the foundation of American Democracy is under attack—the creed enshrined in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal and are afforded the opportunity for “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” It is the creed that established the United States of America, the greatest political experiment in human history. That creed was defended in a bloody Civil War, and it has evolved with great struggle and sacrifice over the last 250 years to mean that every American citizen, regardless of the color of your skin, the gender with which you identify, the religion that you practice, or the country of your birth, is afforded the same protections under the law.
I could list the reasons for my belief that American Democracy is in jeopardy in this election. The list is long. Corruption, disregard for the truth, a wink and a nod toward the most racist elements in American society, and an almost daily violation of constitutional guarantees against warrantless arrest and detention are just a few of the issues on the list. But the two most important are the violent attempt to overturn the 2020 election and the meddling in the 2026 midterm elections scheduled for Nov. 3.
Nov. 3 is when American voters have a vital role in ensuring this upcoming election reflects the desires of the majority of Americans. The bigger the margin, the more difficult it is to screw around with the results. It is the most consequential election in the last 100 years.
There are critical moments in history, crossroads when serious, well-meaning people have a choice. You can look away to rationalize inaction: that choice preserves and empowers repugnant status quos. Or you can choose to speak out, to shout with your vote that there are rights and wrongs in this world. A vibrant, successful democracy requires its citizens to take a stand.
Say it loud and clear: American Democracy is built on the creed that all people are created equal. Democracy is what this election is about, and what we are fighting for. And why I am making sure my vote is counted.
