Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Super Tuesday

Not one but THREE emails from my mother in the UK today reminding me to vote! Having gone to the effort of getting American citizenship, yes of course I voted. Technically, I still have the right to vote in the UK (or I did the last time I checked.) However, the reality is somewhat different as it would involve voting in the last place I was registered to vote, which is hundreds of miles from any family who could be my proxy, therefore requiring a postal ballot, and getting waaay too complicated for me to be bothered. I do make sure I exercise my right to vote here in the United States though. You can't complain about the results of the election if you haven't participated!

7 comments:

Expat mum said...

Agreed. I was actually eligible to vote in the last big election but had just moved and my re-registering paperwork had all been lost. By the time I had figured out where my polling station was, it had closed. I was pretty devastated but living in Illinois, it probably wouldn't have made any difference anyway. This time however.....

Little Britainer said...

I completely agree. I see voting as my right to complain for the next four/however many years. I think that's why it's frustrating living here, because - especially having chosen to move here - I shouldn't really be complaining.... Doesn't seem to stop me though!

Anonymous said...

The American elections seem too complicated and long drawn out to me, but I agree you should exercise your right to vote.
We can vote at the local elections (next month) and European ones but have no say in choosing the Deputés (MPs.)

Anonymous said...

Aha! Moi aussi as we Europeans say!

Now just the long months ahead.

Cheers

Anonymous said...

We received an email from a Danish engineer who we are working on a project with. He exhorted us to go vote and even more specifically, to VOTE WISELY!

I hope when the next presidential election is done, the American people will have voted wisely...

We'll see.

Jane said...

I'm frustrated. I live in the US, pay my taxes like everyone else, but as yet do not have the right to vote. I am raising 3 children here whose daily lives are affected by the choices that other people make. The local elections annoy me as I can't participate in voting on local bonds, unlike in Norway where my permanent resident status gave me those rights. People forget these days what it's like not to have a voice!

Almost American said...

I just counted on my fingers and realized that I had been living in the US for over 15 years before I had the right to vote! Student visa, work visa, another work visa, green card . . . And within a week of being sworn in as a citizen, I got a card in the mail summoning me for jury duty! If you're not allowed to vote, you don't get to do jury duty either. Still got to pay those taxes though!

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