Many organizations have begun serious voter outreach efforts for the Nov. 2008 Presidential election in the US. Since overseas should register as overseas voters (which gives us special priviledges to vote should our ballots not arrive in time), it is imperative that we all reregister as overseas voters (but of course the vote registers for the appropriate State in the US).

There are a handful of online sites that can help all accomplish this 6 minute task. The story in the International Herald Tribute on 28 November details some of them.

Additionally, anyone wanted to vote in the first-ever Presidential primary for overseas citizens should register either with DemocratsAbroad or RepublicansAbroad. The Democrat primary will happen here in Italy on Feb. 5, 2008.

Just

I wrote this message on another thread sinceI got a response. I want to post my reply here, since voting this cycle is really important and I think Bev (who responded on the other thread) has the same concerns as many others here:


Dear Bev and all,

It is important to register to vote before the end of January because it is important to make sure your vote counts in November, 2008. I urge everyone to vote in a primary (Feb. 5 for overseas Democrats)-- it's good practice for November.

That you vote in France and US elections is a good thing. You want to promote the best relationship between the two countries, of course, and you vote that way. That's why the overseas vote is really important. Better to have more and more voters with global perspective registering their opinions!

As for mechanics:

11/28 IHT article reports that it is easier for overseas Americans to register and vote than ever before. Here is the link: (Efforts increase to enfranchise U.S. citizens abroad - International Herald Tribune)

Generally, the Secretary of State is responsible for elections in your home State. If you don't register to vote regularly, the Secretary will drop you from the voter roll. But you can RE-REGISTER at any time. You vote once, but can register as many times as you need to, or, when you change States.

The IHT article gives internet sites where you can register as an overseas voter which we should do now, but at least by the end of January, 2008. Registration take about six minutes, more or less, depending on home State. Everyone should register to vote for every election, just to be sure.

Each site that IHT reported on, operates about the same way and it ask only for the data that your exact Secretary of State needs -- and no more. No need to give out extra info, which often happens with paper voter registration!

If you have lived in the US in your lifetime, use the last address at which you lived, whether or not that house exists right now.

Thanks to the good work of FAWCO and others in the late 1970's, the right to vote has been extended to certain American citizens who have NEVER lived in the US. This is common for 18-20 year olds, but for many others too. You may have to do some research to find the residence address of whoever was responsible for you when you were a child. Usually, this is a parent, even if dead. If that isn't appropriate, then the address of that parent when THEY were children (so, this would commonly be a grandparent).

It doesn't matter if the house is there anymore either. The only rule is that it cannot be a Post Office address or a Rural Route; if it was, then there is a space to describe it as best you can.

If you having lived in the US, but now have a house somewhere other than that of your grandparents, register first at your grandparents address, then reregister a few weeks later in the State you are now in.

We definately ALL should vote.

If you have any questions, just email me: I am collecting website references because we only get to vote once for the next 4 years.

Lisa Finerty

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lisa@SecretGardensItaly.com