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| Absentee Voting Is Open for Americans Overseas, But Few Respond |
| Just over 5 percent of eligible overseas voters cast a ballot in 2006. Will 2008 be any different? |
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Dominic Ambrose (Nicangelo)  |
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Published 2008-09-12 09:22 (KST) |
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The US Presidential election looks like it will be another very close one.
As in 2000 and 2004, the outcome may depend on a small number of votes in one or another of the so-called swing states. For this reason, both parties are making a concerted effort to get every vote they can, including the overseas vote.
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FROM THE SECTION |
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| If you are an American citizen living temporarily or permanently outside of the US, it is not difficult to sign up to vote. Even if you are a citizen who has never actually lived in the US you can vote. And you still have time to get the process going.
Unfortunately, many overseas Americans are put off by the somewhat obscure rules for absentee voting (which may vary from state to state) and are not sure where to get the information they need. What's more, absentee ballots are regularly discarded because of faulty processing. It is estimated that of the over six million Americans who live abroad and are eligible to vote, only a small percentage actually do send in an absentee ballot, and only one third of these ever get counted.
The US Elections Assistance Commission, set up by the federal government to study the problem, states in its September, 2007 report (PDF) that just 330,000 overseas ballots were counted in the 2006 general election. That's just 5.5 percent of eligible voters.
Political organizers are working very hard this year to change that, by fixing problems at the local election board level and by using the internet to inform voters of the correct procedures. A very user friendly non partisan Web site where voters can get all the information they need is the Overseas Vote Foundation.
Deadlines, addresses and rules are all easy to find there. Those voters who feel more comfortable using Web sites created by the two major political parties, will also find the options they are looking for. The Democratic Party has a very well organized effort going this year, through its Democrats Abroad group and the Vote from Abroad Web site.
Republicans can use the Republicans Abroad Web site.
At both of these sites voters can get the same information as from Overseas Vote Foundation, but also more information about the issues and the platforms of their chosen candidates. All of these websites have downloadable forms, including ones to use for a write-in ballot, in case the paper ballot from a local election board does not arrive on time.
This is a very special election year, because the Bush era will come to an end, and the electorate will have the opportunity to decide the future direction of the country. The two sides are very different, offering completely opposing views of America's place in the world. Americans living overseas have a unique vision of their country, seeing it from the outside, and their voices should be heard loud and clear in this crucial year.
So if you are a US citizen living abroad, don't go AWOL when you are needed most. Get the information and participate!
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©2008 OhmyNews
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