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An American Voting from Abroad.... if I can do it, so can you!
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by phoenixesrose | October 1, 2008 at 11:50 pm
351 views | 40 Recommendations | 11 comments
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An American Voting from Abroad.... if I can do it, so can you!
uploaded by phoenixesrose
** I originally posted this the beginning of October, when I got my absentee ballot. I hope that you'll keep this in mind as we move forward with tomorrow's election and choose the best man to lead our country into the future. **
I've been waiting for my ballot. Everyone else had theirs last Friday - and I was getting concerned that maybe there was a problem with my absentee ballot. I printed out an emergency ballot, filled it out and had it ready to go in case my ballot didn't get here by October 1st (it has to be mailed by Oct 8 to get there in time.)
Why why was I worried? Because I'm voting absentee from abroad, and I want to make sure I have enough time to get my vote mailed and counted.
The good news is that my ballot for Georgia got here yesterday - October 1. YEAY!
I filled it out, and sealed it up. I went to the post office - and because the ballot is oversized, and I'm sending it from Germany - back home to the USA
it cost me 4 EUROS (that's almost $8) to mail it back.
But - despite it all, I did it.
I VOTED.
Now, for those of you in the USA -
~I know it won't take you two weeks of wondering if your ballot was is going to get your house.
~It won't cost most of you $8 in gas to go to the poll or to mail your ballot.
~I know it won't take you a month of wondering if it got there, or if once the ballot gets there it will be counted....
So, to my view, there's No EXCUSE.
If I can VOTE from Germany, and do all that - just to make sure MY VOTE makes it on time and that I HAVE A VOICE ....
ON
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2008
I EXPECT NO LESS OF YOU. I don't care who you vote for.
JUST VOTE.
PS. US Citizens - If you're not registered to vote - there may still be time to register in your district and send in an emergency ballot.
Just go to http://www.votefromabroad.org to register and request your ballot.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (11)
at 00:18 on October 2nd, 2008
You are lucky my friend: Canadians living abroad are not allowed to vote. Sadly, Canada is such a lame country, it takes away the voting and democratic rights of its citizens if they dare to live outside the country. Not only a nation of semi-retarded donut eaters, but also one that thinks it is offensive to be successful outside the borders of the country.
at 00:28 on October 2nd, 2008
phoenixesrose, I like this story. It's good stuff.
With the polls so close, I reckon this will be worth every Euro you spent on it
at 01:04 on October 2nd, 2008
Thanks for the flag - and I think so too. I know with some of the smaller elections in the last year, I've not been so concerned (think city / state legislature).
But this is a national election that will have global consequences.
That being said, it's very interesting to me that my non-American friends are coming up and asking me when is the election, who do I like for president, and then offering their political view points - as well as the advice that I had better make sure to vote "correctly" because the world IS watching and waiting with baited breath.
In the US, we barely take a glance at most EU politics .... but the EU knows the US politics. Maybe we should think about that - and realize there is a reason why - especially since as a nation, the US has such an influence.
at 05:16 on October 2nd, 2008
I'm in the same boat.
at 05:32 on October 2nd, 2008
Phoenixesrose, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 06:18 on October 2nd, 2008
phoenixesrose, I like this story. It's good stuff.
Voting in a democracy should be mandatory for all Citizen. It is every Citizens duty and responsibility to Vote in an educated and responsible way. Those that do not want to vote should also lose their rights and privileges as a Citizen. Goodness how hard did our Ancestors foot for their Democratic rights and privileges just so we would trough them out the window again? Not Voting is unacceptable.
at 07:26 on October 2nd, 2008
Hi Phoexesrose. Where did you get the information that the ballot must be mailed by Oct 8th? I think it just has to be sent TO you from your town by October 8th. As far as I'm aware you can mail it in as late as November 3rd.
at 00:12 on October 3rd, 2008
Hi Dave,
It varies state by state. Since I sent mine with signature confirmation (to make sure that it got there and was acknowledged), and it takes about 15 days to get there we have been strongly recommended to get them mailed by the 8th of October to help make sure they would be counted.
(I think we don't want the 2000 and 2004 election controversy to happen again - where absentee ballots were just thrown away in one election, and not counted / mis placed in another.)
at 07:47 on October 2nd, 2008
phoenixesrose, I like this story. It's good stuff.
A great message - I agree, no excuse
at 12:16 on October 3rd, 2008
Paschen, I hear where you're coming from and agree that people should NEVER take their freedom for granted. However, mandatory voting and removal of rights for non-compliance doesn't sound like democracy to me.
I'm honestly still very much undecided. But I'm still going to vote.
at 08:37 on October 14th, 2008
Democracy is a form of government which is chosen by the citizens of that country under a free election system. Not to be confused with anarchy where there is no government or laws, where people are completely liberal to do whatever they want . Democracy includes a government which has to be chosen by the people. So, it's more right to vote if you're living in a democratic system, than saying i have freedom not to vote.
Never take freedom for granted..i love that