Calling all American citizens -- come to Ozzie's on Sunday, June 24 between 5:30-8pm to register to vote in this year's important elections! Registering is super quick and easy and we'll help guide you through it. and we register anyone. The table is organized by the Kunming chapter of Democrats abroad. We register all American citizens regardless of party affiliation.
Come for voter registration, stay for dinner and the World Cup (England-Panama) at 8:00pm. Hope to see you there!
No *real* American would barely know what a World Cup is let alone care about it.....busted!
>x<
Seriously though, you guys do important work. Have my respects.
Anybody know if candidates from any parties other than the Democrats and the Republicans are likely to be on ballots for voters overseas? And are write-ins possible? I'm not clear about how absentee ballots work - depends on the state, perhaps?.
They put all the overseas ballots in a US postal mail duffel bag and drop it in the middle of the Atlantic or the Pacific and forget about it. They'll go look for it only if tally from the in-person ballot is so close that the absentee ballots will make a difference...and even then, your vote will make a difference if you are from a purple state. Residences from NY, CA, TX don't bother. WI, MN, WV,FL might be worth the trouble though.
Actually, the preceding was a commentary on presidential elections. You can make a difference in a mid-term if your district is competitive. But with all the gerrymandering, the chances are slim. But the part about dropping it off in the middle of the ocean is still accurate.
@Satirical: Well, it's CALLED democracy. Sometimes can be useful anyway. So I'm glad this is being made available by Democrats Abroad, although users should understand what it is, what it represents; and what it can do and what it can't, as is.
The options on the absentee ballots are for whatever voting district you previously resided in.
If you get the absentee ballot directly from your home district, then it will have everything that's on the local ballot for that election: district and state representatives, ballot initiatives, etc.
There's another method, called the Federal Postcard Ballot, which is distributed by the federal government. It covers federal elections only, so this year it would be just for any congress or senate seats that are up for grabs.
"Kunming Chapter of Democrats abroad?" How sad and desperate.
Might see you all at Ozzie's anyway just for a laugh to see how you 'guide people through the process.'
Wouldn't any of the American establishments in KM have you or something? Wouldn't be surprised. Your politically motivated movements are not welcome here. China has enough to do to deal with corruption as it is!
@vicar: my impression is that Democrats Abroad generally do this honestly, and have been for quite awhile in various places around the planet. Don't think it's desperate at all - my impression is that Americans living overseas in most places tend to vote Democratic, but there's no dishonesty about that.
Don't understand why having it at Ozzie's makes any difference.
some people are just too busy trying to be 'clever' to get it
I haven't lived in the USA for 20 years & don't have a US address. Can I still register?
