PREZ RACE: Expat Democrats in India voting in global online primary

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A Republican friend visiting India sent me a note about U.S. Democrats reaching out to expats in India. From DemocratsInIndia.org:

U.S. citizens living abroad may vote in the U.S. Democratic Party’s February 5-12, 2008 Global Presidential Primary – the first ever online, worldwide U.S. election.

Nevada, South Carolina, Florida, Super Tuesday…soon it will be your turn to vote in the Global Primary, from anywhere in the world. For the first time in history, you can vote online – but only if you register to vote and join Democrats Abroad by January 31 at www.VoteFromAbroad.org. When you register you will receive a ballot, a secure ID and instructions for voting.

Whether or not you register by the January 31 deadline, you also have the option of casting your ballot in person at our New Delhi Voting Center: Ploof Restaurant, 13 Main Market, Lodhi Colony, New Delhi February 5 (Tuesdsay), 6 (Wednesday), 9 (Saturday) and
12 Tuesday), from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. on each day. Bring your passport, register with Democrats Abroad and vote a paper ballot on the spot!

Read more about the effort below. Meanwhile, in response to a question about similar Republican efforts, my friend wrote:

Haven't been able to find any Republicans. At least the Republicans don't seem to be active on the expat network. There seem to be lots and lots of young Americans -- both Indians and non-Indians working here with NGOs and they're the driving the Democratic outpost here!

If you know of similar Republican efforts in India (or Democratic efforts in other South Asian nations), please post in the comments below.

 

Democrats in India
www.democratsinindia.org

Democrats Abroad is the overseas branch of the U.S. Democratic Party.  We are Americans living in more than 100 countries around the globe: informed of critical issues at home and abroad, inspired to build a better world through our own active participation, and involved at every level of the political process – from overseas voting to serving on the Democratic National Committee.

Democrats Abroad India was founded in New Delhi as a get-out-the-vote effort in 2004, and became an official country committee of Democrats Abroad in March 2005. We register voters, sponsor regular events - ranging from films to media panels to discussion groups, and we occasionally host visiting Democratic Party leaders. We organize letter-writing campaigns, draft policy positions, and get together to talk politics. In 2006, we helped launched www.VoteFromAbroad.org , the fastest-loading, most up-to-date overseas voting assistance site on the Web, to simplify voter registration and applications for absentee ballots.

Coming up - we will reach as many US citizens as we can in India , to encourage them to vote and elect Democrats. We welcome participation, help, ideas, newcomers!

Contact us at democratsinindia@yahoo.com or call 91-11-6563-7772.

U.S. citizens living abroad may vote in the U.S.
Democratic Party’s February 5-12, 2008 Global
Presidential Primary – the first ever online,
worldwide U.S. election.

Nevada, South Carolina, Florida, Super Tuesday…soon it
will be your turn to vote in the Global Primary, from
anywhere in the world. For the first time in history,
you can vote online – but only if you register to vote
and join Democrats Abroad by January 31 at
www.VoteFromAbroad.org. When you register you will
receive a ballot, a secure ID and instructions for
voting.

Whether or not you register by the January 31
deadline, you also have the option of casting your
ballot in person at our New Delhi Voting Center:
Ploof Restaurant, 13 Main Market, Lodhi Colony, New Delhi
February 5 (Tuesdsay), 6 (Wednesday), 9 (Saturday) and
12 Tuesday), from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. on each day.
Bring your passport, register with Democrats Abroad
and vote a paper ballot on the spot!

The Democratic Global Primary is open to any U.S.
citizen living overseas who will be 18 years of age by
November 4, 2008 (some 17-year olds are therefore
eligible to vote) and who is a registered member of
Democrats Abroad. There are no membership fees.  The
global primary vote will be represented with 11 votes
at the Democratic National Convention in Denver which
will nominate the party's presidential candidate.

And what about your home state primary? You may vote
for a presidential candidate in either the Democratic
Global Primary or your state primary, but not both.
(If you choose to vote for President through the
Global Primary and you also receive your absentee
state primary ballot, you can use the state ballot to
vote for all state offices, but you must not vote for
President on the state ballot.) For practical
purposes, if your state primary is scheduled for
January or for Super Tuesday (February 5), deadlines
may make it difficult for your absentee ballot to
arrive in time to be counted.  So register at
www.VoteFromAbroad.org or come to our walk-in Voting
Center, and make your vote count!

For more information: www.democratsabroad.org or
www.democratsinindia.org
Contact: democratsinindia@yahoo.com

                                                                     

Executive Committee:
Chair: Carolyn Sauvage-Mar
Vice-Chairs: Sumana Brahman and Sam Janke
Secretary: Carol Duffy Clay
Treasurer: James Baer
Counsel: Teresa Owens
At-large: Jim Hogan
At-large: Adotei Akwei