It was exciting the read the article about Democrats Abroad in the Washington Monthly that Chitown Kev linked to in his Sunday Pundit Roundup (thank you for doing this, Kev, if I can call you Kev, I can't live without my Pundit Roundup).
washingtonmonthly.com/...
You see, I'm a member of the Barcelona chapter of Democrats Abroad and involved in organizing our primary events and doing what it ever it takes to get Americans in Spain and elsewhere abroad to vote now and in November. Long- and short-term expats, students on their year abroad, expat offspring who may have never lived in the States, dual nationals living here, digital nomads here right now, anyone who is eligible to vote in a U.S. election. We hope that our efforts make a difference, and if we can round up a significant number of new voters, they will.
There are a variety of reasons that expats might not vote:
- Life abroad is so interesting that political engagement back home takes a back seat to the experience.
- The procedure seems mysterious and bureaucratic.
- Been abroad so long that they feel disconnected from what's going on in the U.S.
- Haven't been faithfully complying with onerous U.S. tax filing requirements and worried that voting will bring them to the attention of the government. (It won't.)
- Disillusioned with the U.S. electoral system and/or politically apathetic.
The good news is that we're seeing a surge in new members. People are volunteering to help right and left. Local businesses and institutions are generously allowing us to use their premises for our voting events. People want to see regime change in the U.S. even if they're not citizens.
The purpose of this diary is to reach out to expats everywhere to tell them that the Global Presidential Primary exists, that voting from abroad has never been easier, and that there are friendly people standing by to help them navigate the system.
The international primaries are interesting because the voter-to-delegate ratio is more powerful than in the primary in the voter's home state. Politically astute expat voters can also calculate whether their preferred candidate is likely to be a shoe-in back home and, if so, choose to deploy their primary vote in the DA primary for greater impact. We send 21 delegates to the national convention, assigned proportionally.
International U.S. voters have a unique perspective on many issues based on direct experience. The idea of universal healthcare, for example, is a no-brainer. Government-provided healthcare, in Spain for example, which ranges from good to excellent, supplemented by optional add-on private insurance, is affordable. No one goes without care. Prescriptions costs are low. Other countries have other ways of organizing healthcare, but we see that they are much better than the U.S. system, and we want that for U.S. citizens as well.
We also see that many of the issues facing U.S. voters are also being felt worldwide: migration, the climate catastrophe, income inequality, the rise of nationalism and the right, the role of public education, culture, pensions, employment. Our hair is on fire because bad things seem to be happening everywhere all at once.
If you are living abroad or you know someone who is, please go to:
www.democratsabroad.org
www.votefromabroad.org
and get involved as a voter or a volunteer wherever you live.
Thank you!
