I just voted from thousands of miles away — birthdate, state ID, Social Security number, signature, the works, just to get a ballot mailed to me.

So when someone claims foreigners are sneaking into American elections, I have some thoughts. This episode is the actual math on voter fraud, the real security checks your ballot goes through, and why the people repeating the "rigged election" line the loudest usually haven't checked their own state's rules — or their own voting history.

More from me: find the full essays and everything else at @kbamericanrefugee on Substack.

Show Notes — How to Check Your Own State's Absentee Voting Rules:

• Vote.org — Absentee Ballot Rules by State: vote.org/absentee-voting-rules/ (clear breakdown of excuse vs. no-excuse states, deadlines, ID requirements)

• USA.gov — Absentee Voting & Voting by Mail: usa.gov/absentee-voting

• U.S. Vote Foundation — built specifically for overseas and military voters: usvotefoundation.org

• AARP's 2026 state-by-state voting guide: aarp.org/government-elections/how-to-vote-2026/

Rules, deadlines, and ID requirements vary significantly by state — always double-check directly with your state's official election site before you vote.

Intro/outro music: "Awaken Child" by Alex Kaplan — used with artist permission. New music from Alex, coming soon wherever you stream.