Posted on 10/20/2004 7:36:40 AM PDT by dead
Hundreds of Americans living in South Africa went to the US Consulate in Cape Town to make sure their votes would count for the election of the next president of the United States.
"The show-up is phenomenal," said US consul-general Moosa Valli, who was the first of 230 people to vote yesterday.
Voters handed in their sealed absentee ballots to make sure their vote would arrive in time for election day on November 2 without having to pay dispatch costs. The ballots were flown to the US last night.
People having problems registering as voters or those who hadn't received their absentee ballots were also able to sort things out so they will have a say in the election race between George Bush and John Kerry.
"I didn't want to take any risks, because I really want my vote to count," said Donelle Boose, 20, who is at the University of Cape Town for a semester.
Boose recorded a vote for the next president and vice-president, for the House of Representatives and for two issues in Virginia, the state she's from.
"Every state has its own issues people can vote for, together with the election for the next president," explained Amy Bell Mulaudzi, librarian at the consulate.
"All Americans can also vote for the House of Representatives and a lot of people can record a vote for the circulating senate, but that depends on the state they're from. The ballots from the various states all look different, which makes it difficult for those who want to assist people voting."
According to the consulate's Daniel Claffey, there are about 2 800 Americans permanently registered with the consulate, which serves the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape. About 3 800 are temporarily registered.
"This is the absolute minimum number of Americans that are about to vote," Claffey said. "We encourage people to register, but they're not obliged to be registered with the consulate to be allowed to vote."
Although absentee ballots from South Africa form only a small part of the vote, they could make major differences, said Claffey, referring to the close race and the important role absentee ballots played in the pivotal state of Florida four years ago.
Most of the people who showed up yesterday said they were in favour of the Democratic candidate Kerry.
Among them was Douglas Tilton, who is from Kansas City but has lived in Cape Town for six years: "People who experience the way the US is perceived in the world tend to be Democrats."
OH MY...what you make of this?!!
Once surrounded by a socialist society one tends to vote socialist.
I have a feeling that American Jews living in Israel are going to be a big help to the president in Fla.
"Among them was Douglas Tilton, who is from Kansas City but has lived in Cape Town for six years: "People who experience the way the US is perceived in the world tend to be Democrats.""
No we don't. I don't, and my American friends in Asia don't. But then again, we would never be dumb enough to live in Cape Town:)
Also, people who live in other countries and make money for US firms tend to vote Bush.
My brother lives in Hong Kong and works as a bond trader. They know "how America is perceived in the world" and that's why they're happily voting for Bush.
The deadbeat expatriot hippy vote is strongly Kerry.
The American voting process at work, for all the world to see.
In my opinion --military personel aside-- if you aren't LIVING in the USA, while holding citizenship, you shouldn't be allowed to vote.
Maybe this election will finally wake up most Americans to get out there and vote.
Actually they were in 2000.
They may be deadbeat hippies, but I doubt they were ever patriots.
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