Maz

OK so it's been a long time since I last voted in the UK, and the same with France, but I'm mulling over whether or not to keep my vote, just for the 2008 Prez elections in the US, then drop it.

I'm not sure.

I usually haven't kept my postal vote for a country I'm not resident in out of principle, but where US politics are concerned, I find there are few enough principles that the candidates have, so why not follow suit?

OK so this isn't intended to be a debate about US politics (wrong country's forum and all) but for recent migrants, are you planning on keeping your vote in the UK (or wherever)? For migrants who have been here for longer, did you keep your vote at all, did you let it lapse straightaway, or do you still have it?

OK go!

Andrew Cross

Never even thought about it...so obviously have let it lapse..

Ted Logan

Yawn ................ zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Maz

Has anyone else here voted ever?

misterjingo

I'm not a migrant there *yet*, but if I was in your position, i'd definitely vote due to the current possibilities open in the US atm.

happynz

Yes, I vote every election. I have other flaws, but let's not go into them now.

Rete

A US right to vote does not lapse. You can vote in an election in absence or not. Your choice. And you can vote one year and not vote for the next 20 and then vote again on the 21st if you choose to.

BEVS

We have both keep our UK voting rights and use them.
We will be voting in the NZ general election
Didn't bother with the mayoral voting and such like here in NZ, as we couldn't work our way through the maze of candidates and what they actually stood for.

uk+kiwi

Totally agree with both those points.

However, now that you've got me thinking about it, I don't agree with non-residents being allowed to vote, even though they are currently entitled to do so. I'm really shocked that this is the case in fact.

It's quite ridiculous that someone not living in a country for x years can affect how that country is managed politically and therefore the lives of the people living in that country. It could be abused for an alternative (political) agenda if the numbers were high enough that could affect the global economy and balance of power. Hopefully the numbers just would never remotely affect it and I'm worrying too much.

So before anyone jumps on me, I'm not talking about Jo Bloggs voting, although a million so-called 'Jo Bloggs' could well turn out to be a different matter.

dreamfish

i was thinking similar uk+kiwi

and thats all i am going to say about that.

LMAO

What I want to say without sounding like a deserter was why would you want to try and influence the voting of a candidate of a country that you have left?

I am one of those people that you voters hate - i have never voted, call me apathetic, call me what you like, but I have never voted because not one party has really excited me enough to want to see them elected.

they are all a bunch of thieving evil spawns of the devil.

and quite possibly aston villa fans too!

Maz

Aah but it's all to do with citizenship, otherwise PRs would be allowed to vote. Actually I voted in France as non-citizen residents are allowed to vote there, but only citizens can vote in the presidential elections. Personally I think if you pay taxes somewhere, that should entitle you to decide who gets to spend it on your behalf. Tax return completed and correctly filed = right to vote. Just my $0.02.

uk+kiwi

That makes sense and is a much better idea than letting citizens keep their vote.

I have similar feelings to Dreamfish re: voting. No-one has ever excited me at all, though I do vote ('pressure' from kiwi hubbie). I do the worst thing possible though IMO - I vote politically, against a certain party effectively. Which I just don't think is right, hence why I didn't vote for years and years. In fact I think I have only voted twice, which happens to fall in line roughly with hubbie gaining his British citizenship and thus right to vote.

Incidentally, he does not vote in NZ. I think the danger in him doing so is he just would not be fully informed about policy and its effects, and more importantly how political parties change a LOT (labour) over a decade or so. He hasn't resided in NZ for over 14 years now - scary thought!