The groundwork is in place. Democrats Abroad has made a (sometimes tough) transition to Web 2.0. Emails will be rolling into in-boxes around the world this week, inviting members to sign up for the Democrats Abroad Global Primary.
Americans who live outside the US, no matter where, have an historic opportunity to vote in the Feb. 5-12 Global Primary, which will shape our delegation to the Democratic National Convention. While we have gone high-tech, offering secure internet voting and options for snail mail or faxed ballots, we also offer traditional balloting at voting centers in nearly 100 sites around the world. The response has been terrific; not only are young members, like Nickin New Delhi, jazzed, we're attracting new members at quite a clip.
Update: Server issues at the Democrats Abroad site appear now resolved. Regrets for any inconvenience.
Some 6-7 million Americans live outside the US (roughly equal to the population of Indiana or Washington state) about half of whom are believed eligible to vote. Democrats Abroad will send 22 delegates (each with 1/2 vote) to the Democratic National Convention in Denver. In comparison, Indiana and Washington (est. 2005 popn. of 6,215,000 and 6,258,000) will be represented by delegationsof 79 and 97, respectively.
Many of our concerns parallel those of you at home in the US. We have parents at home who need adequate care and children, some in the US, who seek a world-class education, the prospects of both undercut by actions of the Bush Republicans; our own retirement funds threatened by feckless GOP spending. Perhaps more acutely than many Americans in the US, we feel the impacts of the Bush-led diminution of American standing in the eyes of the world on a daily basis.
But we also have other concerns: access (denied) to the Medicare which our dollars have helped pay for, taxation (the US is the only OECD country to tax its nationals living outside the mother country), Patriot Act "legitimized" spying on our calls home to Mom.
If we are to have a larger role in shaping policies which affect us, it takes votes--lots of votes. (It also takes work on the Hill--we do that, too.)
The historical overseas voting turnout numbers, such as they are (this official report on overseas military and civilian voting acknowledges (p 10) that some localities and states lump domestic and overseas absentee ballots together), suggest that fewer than 1 million overseas ballots were counted in 2004.
Action: Help double that number. If you live abroad, joinus and vote in the Global Primary. Spread the word to others in your address book.
And if you live in the US, you may know someone who lives outside its borders. Let them know about us.
Americans, age 18 by General Election Day, must be registered members of Democrats Abroad by Jan. 31 in order to vote at a secure internet location, by snail mail, or by fax. Those who live in cities where Democrats Abroad has active chapters may walk in, join Dems Abroad, register and vote without prior Democrats Abroad membership.
We see this as an important step in creating a stronger presence, one which will power us into the General Election and beyond--in order to make a difference in the lives of Americans who live and work outside the US, and strengthen our voice on international issues which concern all of us, wherever we live.
Join us! Support our efforts to inform all Americans living outside the US.