Globally Getting Out the Vote

We’ve mentioned Democrats Abroad on this blog before… DA keeps Americans living overseas involved in the political process and helps them vote.

The big way they do that is through a website that they launched that is better than any other voter site out there for absentee ballot info. http://www.votefromabroad.org/ It is basically a wizard that guides you through the voter registration and absentee ballot request process by asking only those questions you are required to answer for your specific voting state and personal circumstances.

It automatically produces a completed voter registration and absentee ballot request form with all the information you need to provide. No more, no less. You then just need to print, sign, and mail it to the address provided. Registering should be this easy everywhere! Plain and simple. VFA was built with voter input, volunteer input and with a lot of elbow grease.

The mission: To help Americans everywhere exercise their rights to vote as American citizens living abroad.

DA has been using the http://www.votefromabroad.org/ website with great success since 2006 but one of our goals this year is to get more blogs, state party websites, and media webpages to provide a link to VFA so that we can get the word out.

Most Americans living overseas get a big % of their news and entertainment from the Internet so getting the link out viraly is one of the best ways to empower our overseas voters. If you have any ideas how to help with this project, share them in the comment thread! And if you know any American friends living overseas be sure to let them know about http://www.votefromabroad.org/

The GOP knows the importance of the overseas vote, it is one of the reasons that they are throwing up roadblocks to make it harder especially for Vets, many of whom have retired overseas. But Dems Abroad and VFA are going to help us help voters everywhere.

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Wednesday Wire

It's Wednesday, that means it is once more time for John McQueen's Wednesday Wire, in which he says...

One loyal reader asked to have the situation surrounding the John Edwards delegates explained. Prior to his dropping out before Super Tuesday on 6 February, Edwards had won 28-35 delegates in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina (some were projections that didn’t/won’t pan out) and Florida (assuming they ultimately count). Once he formally endorsed Barack Obama, his suspended presidential campaign came to an end and he released his delegates to vote for whomever they wished...

There is plenty more here

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Dems Abroad Blogger -- YanquiMike

The DNC has today announced the blogger picks for State embedded bloggers. Congratulations to Yanqui Mike of DA Argentina for being named! We look forward to his reports from the convention floor in Denver.

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Wednesday Wire

I am still traveling and got nothing for ya... but check out the always excellent John McQueens' Wednesday Wire, here is a taste...

Dear Democrats Around the World,

This is Wednesday Wire No. 134, 9 April 2008

Topics This Week:

The Vancouver Global Convention – What’s at stake?
Pennsylvania in two weeks.
More Clinton woes, but some positives too
Attorney General Mukasey tells a whopper
Three candidates interview a general and an ambassador
Polling from upcoming primaries
Schumer’s view of the 2008 Senate races
State by State
Reading Recommendations
And finally…


1. The Vancouver Global Convention – What’s at stake?

Asia/Pacific and the Americas regional caucuses kick off an exciting weekend on Friday in Vancouver, followed by the Democrats Abroad Global Convention on Saturday and the annual Democratic Party Committee Abroad meeting on Sunday. How I wish I was going to be there! Elections galore in what has to be the most complicated voting system ever devised for Democrats. Every election category has slightly to significantly different voting rules – the best advice to delegates and members of the worldwide committee – pay attention; it’s as close to rocket science as politics gets.


Friday regionals. (Europe already had their regional in Brussels on 15-16 March where four national convention At Large delegates for Obama (Bragar of the Netherlands, Temple of Germany, Nabti of Lebanon and Stewart of South Africa) and two for Clinton (Miller of UK and Seward of France) were elected.

Read the rest at his site :WednesdayWire
His stuff about Clinton is gold.

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Obama Wins Democrats Abroad Primary

Overseas Democrats voted in record numbers over the past weeks to select Barack Obama their primary choice. Americans living in 64 countries, from Antarctica to Zambia, provided another shellacking for Hillary Clinton, this one globally.

Obama 62%
Clinton 33%

Total Voter Turnout: 22,755

This global primary was the first of its kind. Congratulations to Democrats Abroad on a monumental effort.

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Wednesday Wire

For overseas Americans, can I recommend Democrats Abroad John McQueen's Wednesday Wire as a way to keep up to date on whats going on politically. You'll miss out on nothing reading this, regardless if its blog related or straight off The Hill.

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