Tracy and Dave

I'm at work and Dave just got a call from the Democratic party asking for me and he said "She's a Republican" because he honestly (and foolishly) thought I was. But it led to a conversation that had me laughing.

He asked why we have to register for a particular party when we register to vote and I gave him a quick run-down of the primary process and he was outraged that registering to vote takes away half his voting rights and he started ranting about how now he isn't going to become a citizen as a way to take a stand against the US stripping him of half his right to vote.

So after I stopped laughing and dried the tears from my eyes I said to him, "Honey - if you don't get citizenship and you don't register to vote, YOU have just stripped yourself of ALL your voting rights!"

Sorry - just wanted to share.

lairdside

I can see why it made you laugh.

Depending upon which country your other half is from they may still have ex-pat voting rights in their home country btw.

Not something I personally plan to exercise myself (I don't feel that it is correct for me to do so personally if I don't live there anymore) but for those who feel an irresistable need to vote..

Tracy and Dave

That's another reason I was laughing so hard. Even when he was living in Canada he didn't ever vote. He told me that he voted once in the whole time he was able to vote and he moved down here when he was 34.

lairdside

I've always voted, an unfortunate consequence of having politicans for close relations.

My mother does not vote as she considers it to be objectionable on religious grounds.

There's nothing to make most people want something than telling them that they can't have it anymore

Duran

    > He asked why we have to register for a particular party when we
    > register to vote and I gave him a quick run-down of the primary process
    > and he was outraged that registering to vote takes away half his voting
    > rights and he started ranting about how now he isn't going to become a
    > citizen as a way to take a stand against the US stripping him of half
    > his right to vote

Oh jeesh...for the sake of his sanity you better hold off on the explanation
of the electoral college.
(If you are not in the know - but it sounds like you are - a president can
be elected with as little as 30% of the popular vote)

Dennis & Bonnie French

I never missed my opportunity to vote at home in Canada. My grandmother
remembered when women were not allowed to vote. If I don't vote, I can't
complain, so I will become an American citizen.
Dennis and I have had some very interesting conversations about the politics
that drive both of our countries. I am the one who is home the most, and
gets to answer the phone when the telemarketers call asking for the
"Republican in the house". I thought it was especially touching during our
last state election that Barbara Bush called all of us personally to ask us
to vote for her darling son Jeb! )
I still have a difficult time understanding the electoral college thing. I
hope by the time I can vote I will have been able to figure that one out.
Bonnie

"Duran" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > > He asked why we have to register for a particular party when we
    > > register to vote and I gave him a quick run-down of the primary process
    > > and he was outraged that registering to vote takes away half his voting
    > > rights and he started ranting about how now he isn't going to become a
    > > citizen as a way to take a stand against the US stripping him of half
    > > his right to vote
    > Oh jeesh...for the sake of his sanity you better hold off on the
explanation
    > of the electoral college.
    > (If you are not in the know - but it sounds like you are - a president can
    > be elected with as little as 30% of the popular vote)

Rete

If you have been able to grasp the concept of how your PM is elected in Canada, you should have no problem with the US concept of the electoral college. In either country, the will of the people is valueless.

If you are hoping to absentee vote in the PM election, I hope you have better luck than Jim in finding a way to do it. He has been told that as a non-resident, he is not eligible to file an absentee ballot regardless of his property ownership, pension, and payment of annual taxes to the Canadian government. He was told in so many words by Mr. Manley (did I spell that correctly) when you became a resident of the US you have effectively turned your back on Canada, blah, blah, blah and your right to participate in the chose of government has been rescinded.

Rete

imkimmy

Tracy--

Just to confuse him more, you should tell Dave it depends on which state you live in as to whether you have to register with a party. Here in Va. you are not required to register with a particular party, but when you go to vote in a primary, they make you raise your hand and swear you will not vote in the other parties primary.

Kimberly

P.S. Stantton never voted in Canada too, or I should say hardly ever voted. He explained that the western provices don't have much of a chance, since the majority of the population is in the eastern portion of the country. BUT, he is really excited to get his citizenship here so he CAN vote here. I think the 2000 election proved to him how important it is for everyone to vote.

lairdside

Seems rather harsh that people should not be expected to care about the welfare of their country, especially when they may still have vested interests in that country. To boot Canada is "next door"...

British Citizens can vote after moving abroad for up to 15 years I believe. I found the following, hopefully it is up-to-date:

There has recently been a change in the law regarding voting which will come into effect in April 2002. This means that all British Citizens can vote from overseas in General Elections and European Elections for 15years after leaving the country.

Minors taken abroad by their parents also qualify once they meet the age of 18 provided they did not leave the UK more than 15years previously.

The Franchise (the right to vote) was first extended to expatriate British citizens, not employed by the British Government, by the Representation of the People Act in 1985. It was extended to 20 years and simplified by the Representation of the People Act 1989, but was reduced to 15 years by the present Labour Government in the PPER Act 2000.

British citizens abroad can register as overseas electors for Parliamentary and European Elections for the first 15 years of their absence from the UK if they were previously registered in a UK constituency. The Electoral Registration Officer must be able to trace an earlier entry over the period of the previous 15 annual registers. Registration is for one year at a time and can now be renewed at any time during the year under the new rolling registration system, but must be done 6 weeks prior to the announcement of an election.

Overseas electors votes are cast were they were last living and registered in the UK. Voting can be by proxy or postal vote, although if you are applying for a postal vote from abroad you should be aware that the timescale involved is very short and your vote may not arrive with you in time. If you do decided to vote using this method, please apply early to ensure that it is registered. Proxy appointments last as long as the elector remains on the register, or until cancelled/altered in writing.

When the law was first introduced the time limit was 5 years I believe.

lairdside

Canadians may find the following links interesting:

http://temagami.carleton.ca/jmc/cnew...00/feature.htm

http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?...textonly=false

http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?...textonly=false

http://www.elections.ca/ele/spe/form_e.html

http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?...textonly=false

Rete

Thanks for listing the articles. They are the same ones we have read before when researching absentee voting rights for Canadian non-residents. Jim did not fit the criteria for special ballot voting in '99 and certainly does not fit that criteria today. He is a non-resident of his country and does not have a date of intent to resume residency in Canada. This would be evident to his country if they were to learn that he has applied to the US Government for naturalization, in addition to the fact that he will have resided outside of Canada for five consecutive years come August 18.

Rete

lairdside

I'm sorry to hear that

Perhaps someone else may find the links useful *sigh*

Worst thing is people affected by this can't vote to influence a change in the law.....

beyness

Oh jeesh...for the sake of his sanity you better hold off on the explanation
of the electoral college.
(If you are not in the know - but it sounds like you are - a president can
be elected with as little as 30% of the popular vote) [/QUOTE]

He can also win by manipulating the election, as witnessed in our last presidential election!