Eva Putzova's 2020 congressional campaign during the Independence Day in 2019. (source: Courtesy of E. P.)
I’m 46 years old and I’ve never voted in my life. To be precise, I’ve never voted in any Slovak election.
And yet, I take voting and civic engagement very seriously. So seriously, that the day after I became a U.S. citizen, I registered to vote in my adopted home and voted in every single election ever since. I’ve been voting down every single ballot, which in the U.S. context means voting not only for state, federal, and local representatives but also for judges, mine inspectors, and even school boards and a myriad of direct ballot questions that range from raising the minimum wage to approving funding for local public transit to changing the city charter.
In 1998-1999 when I could have voted in my first Slovak election, I was temporarily abroad and there was no way to vote from outside of Slovakia at that time. After I moved to the U.S. and voting by mail became possible, I felt both disconnected from Slovak politics and uneasy about deciding the future of a country I love but no longer participate in its daily life directly.
Over the years, as my civic engagement deepened and especially after I was elected to a local city council, ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, and managed political and issue campaigns, I started to appreciate more our collective interdependence and to consider the impact our policies (both American and Slovak) have on people everywhere, not just domestically. What each country does in terms of its climate action—or inaction—affects us all. How each country addresses family unification or more broadly immigration can have a direct impact on our lives. What trade agreements the countries sign will impact their own labor but also labor in other countries.
Having the privilege of perspectives from two countries on two continents, understanding that every aspect of our lives is decided by policies and thus by politics, and caring deeply for the planet and the people no matter where they live or come from, I cannot let another election go by without participating. It is my right to vote but it’s also my obligation.
I will be casting my vote in the Slovak election for the first time in September and until then, spending significant time educating my fellow Slovaks on the procedures of voting from abroad, which unfortunately is, in 2023, still not electronic but dependent on the global mailing system plagued by inconsistent delivery and delays. Every Slovak citizen abroad who is, on September 30, at least 18 years old and has a valid ID card or Slovak passport, can and should vote.
Voters can request to vote by mail through the Ministry of Interior’s portal.
Eva Putzová is an economic justice activist, campaign consultant and strategist, former Flagstaff City Council Member and a 2020 candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. She splits her time between Flagstaff, Arizona and Nitra, Slovakia. You can find her on all social networks as @evaputzova.
Author: Eva Putzová
