Expats flying home to vote

Amid continuing concerns about late, missing, or plain incorrect absentee ballots, apparently there are a handful of us expats who are making sure our votes will count - by flying back to the States to vote in person:

While some are making frantic calls to state voting offices or groups representing overseas Democrats or Republicans, others have decided the only solution is to fly to the United States.

"George W. Bush is not the right man for the job and that's why I'm paying to get on a plane to make sure I get over and vote," said B. Carter Looney, 39, a U.S. businessman who lives near Frankfurt.

"There's more to the world than just the United States," said Looney, who will spend 26 hours airborne for just three days in Arizona before returning Tuesday after voting.

Looney, overseas for 17 years, voted in every contest before 2000, but said he felt ill for a long time after missing the last election because his absentee ballot arrived too late.

"I vowed it wouldn't happen again," he said.

With all the hubbub about voting irregularities and post-election legal squabbling this year, who can blame them?

In fact, there are a couple of pieces on this subject you should check out. The NYT's piece, on the possible impact of the new "provisional ballots", makes me a bit nervous:

The Help America Vote Act of 2002 allows voters whose names cannot be found on local rolls to cast provisional ballots, with election officials making a decision later about whether the vote should count. Election lawyers now say that those ballots could determine the outcome in a handful of states where the presidential race is expected to be extremely close.

But because those ballots will have to be considered one by one, there is a real possibility that the outcome of the presidential election will not be known on the morning of Nov. 3 and that it will again turn on court decisions, say election law specialists tracking more than a half-dozen thorny legal issues in the swing states.

"We could be within the margin of litigation in all 10 or 11," said Edward B. Foley, who teaches election law at Ohio State University.

Yeeks.

And if that didn't cheer you up enough, the Washington Post has a lovely article on the possible implications of another post-election tussle:

We don't need a repetition of Florida, perhaps on a grander scale. The danger is not simply a delay in knowing who the next president is, or the prospect that he'll be hampered in governing, or the probable fury of the loser's supporters that the election was "stolen." The more unsettling danger is that, having engaged in two rounds of post-election combat, party warlords will make this a permanent part of the political process.

Election by litigation is a sensationally bad idea. Undertaken piously to guarantee voters' "rights" or to prevent "fraud," it would erode popular confidence in elections' integrity. We'd be bombarded (as we already are) by endless complaints about how compromised or corrupt voting practices have become. Sooner or later, many Americans might cynically conclude that the side with the busiest poll watchers, cleverest lawyers and friendliest judges had secured an unfair advantage

No wonder the networks are being extra-cautious this year. Once bitten... twice shy.

Comments

[alexandra_citron@hotmail.com]

I'm feeling pretty lucky now that Virginia seems to have had it's act together in both issuing the voting cards and sending out the ballots. My whole family got everything we needed within a couple of weeks of sending off our various forms. Yet you had to scramble to get yours - the whole system is too hit and miss.

Speaking of which, I don't know if anyone here saw the Newsnight segment last night by Greg Palast about the voting situation in Florida - again. You might have thought that some effort would have been made to make sure the whole state was more than squeaky clean, but it appears not. I've read Palast's book 'The Best Democracy Money Can Buy' which no doubt sends Bush supporters up the wall, but his chapter on the dire Florida shenanigans last time around is scary reading. It doesn't sound too good four years later either.

fortunately lots of Democrats are registered in Florida and other states. Vote early and often. does anyone know how to do this?

[Chrish]

How very sad that we've come, or should that be
sunk, to this level in our history. Both sides
dragging out their string of trial lawyers, excuse
me voting lawyers to "ensure" all's well in the voting booths, depositing their thugs "observers",
at voting stations to ensure their's no intimidation going on. How pathetic can that be?

We've stepped "down" one more rung in the ladder
towards third world politics.

To think that people living overseas have to fly
all the way home just to ensure that their votes will count? That is so incredibly sad..

[Jim]

Expats. Please be careful in your travels. Especially post-election in the U.S.
Sincerely.

[Luke]

Oh Jesus Christ on a popsicle stick Jim.

Idle vague threats again. You truly have replaced Del as the Official Expats Against Bush Right Wing Wack Job. Congratulations.

[Jim]

Nice. really nice.
Remember Luke as the left says we're less safe now because of attacking Afghanistan and Iraq than we were before 9/11. Yet nothing has happened. It's coming right after the election. Why is ABC holding a tape which states this threat exactly.

[Chrish]

Jim, sorry but, your post did sound like a threat
which did surprise me to see your name on it..

We've had our verbal battles this past year with
these, our people, living overseas. We've agreed
on some things and, God knows, we've greatly disagreed on many things. In some cases we've
resorted to calling each other names but, after the dust and smoke cleared I think we've, at least for me, have found a great deal of respect
for all here, your opinions, ideas, thoughts, and positions without issuing threats.

A lot of dialogue, discussion, debates, ideas, positions, thoughts, and reflections have been posted on this site and I am truly grateful for having had the opportunity to read and learn from
all of you; thank you.

I recall when this site was in it's early days and
I discovered it. The amount of threats, name calling, accusations, and mindless nonsense being posted by people who disagreed with Luke and Co. was unbelievable. Remember that Luke? As I read through those tasteless posts, which were more like shouting, I also read some truly insightful thoughts and ideas from thinking and concerned people. Gratifying, truly gratifying.

One cannot discount the many contributions to the
discussions made here by Luke, Maryann, EBG, Jeff, Sarah, Miriamg, Bobo, many others whose names I cannot remember, and yes even you Jim
without coming away with a greater sense of respect for you all. My apologies if I missed
anyone or their names.

As we get closer to the election tensions are going to rise and accusation abound but, let's hope and pray that when the election is over the Will of The People will be heard without the going through another debacle of 2000.

For those of you having to fly home to ensure your vote is counted I wish you all a safe and untroubled journey home and back again.....

[Jim]

Well Chrish, if you don't believe me, then nobody would. However I'll say this anyway, what I said was not meant as a threat. When expats on this site have travelled home at the holidays I have done nothing but wish safe travels. And I mean that sincerely, I would never wish anyone here harm, let alone threaten them. I may disagree with 90% of what people on this site say, but I would never try to stifle their views. I may disagree with Luke and others here quite a bit, but I would never do harm or wish harm on someone for spouting their opinion.
I meant what I said sincerely and not as a threat, because I am worried. Believe what you want, but if I didn't convey my thoughts how I wanted to I apologize.

[Chrish]

Jim, it's cool. Perhaps we're all getting a little tense and nerves are getting raw as this
election gets near.

I hadn't thought about the fact that there is still the threat that terrorists might try to do
something to alter the election outcome...

I agree, I also hope all who travel have a safe journey. You have to admit though it's rather
sad that we've come to this state of affairs where
Our people living overseas feel compelled to come home just to ensure that their vote is counted.

I don't know about you but, that really does make me feel sad. In this day and age they should all be able to send in their votes without fear nor worry that their ballots may get lost and not counted. The idea that we have actually sunk to that level in our Democracy I really find heartbreaking.

[Jim]

I agree completely Chrish.
Also, these computer voting booths frankly scare me. I see big problems here with no paper trail. Unless this is a blowout, which neither side is predicting I see multiple lawsuits. We could be waiting a month to know the winner again.

[Jeff]

I believe you Jim... it's tough to convey sincerity or any other tone through this medium.

[Maryann]

As my (English) husband put it, it's deeply uninspiring to see the world's foremost democracy needing teams of lawyers to duke it out over fraud. It's not a far cry from third world countries who need to have the UN around to supervise their elections, lest they threaten or exclude people (or worse). It's depressing for everybody -- Americans and their admirers alike. How did we get here?

[Chrish]

Your husband's right Maryann; what must it look like to the rest of the world that the foremost
democracy appears to be tail spinning into a world
where elections are decided by litigation and teams of lawyers? Next there will be UN monitors
coming in to observe our elections.

Voting machines that have no paper trail as Jim
pointed out, voter registration cards mysteriously
missing, accusations by both sides of voter intimidation, voting machines that break down,
dead people registering to vote. Good God, we
have become a third world banana republic with
corrupt politicians and their lawyers. And we
grandly walk around waving the banners for the
candidates acting as if everything is fine while
telling the rest of the world how great our Democracy?

That is the question Maryann; "How did we get here?".