jantango
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Here is the experience of an overseas citizen who votes in Ohio.
Today I feel compelled to share my experience of sending in my absentee ballot for the US Presidential election of November 5. As many of you know, I have dual citizenship (Dutch, US) and, as a US citizen, I am registered to vote in one of the ‘swing states’ (Ohio). This always makes me feel that my vote counts. I should also note that I have a Ph.D degree and have had a long academic career in the social sciences and should, therefore, be assumed to be able to read and understand a ballot. This assumption should not be taken for granted, however. The ballot of 12 pages, single-spaced, was full of traps that were almost impossible to avoid. I was, of course, aware of the shenanigans currently being pulled to make it harder (not easier) for citizens in the US and abroad to vote, so I read and re-read and re-read all the instructions to make sure I avoided making any mistakes. Even a misunderstanding about the date (date of birth or present date), putting one of the pages in the wrong envelope, not sealing the envelope correctly, not putting enough postage on the (correct) envelope or not mailing it in time could all invalidate the vote. But that is not all. Then there were the joys of trying to figure out the party alliances of the candidates for state and local offices. In a polarized nation like the US, you really want to know whether a candidate is a Republican or Democrat (even if you are not sure what a ‘Judge of the Court of Common Pleas’ actually does), but, alas, even this essential information was not always provided, requiring additional internet research in order to figure out what kind of candidate I was voting for. But the icing on the cake, was a ‘Proposed Constitutional Amendment’ (one page long) about gerrymandering. It was worded in such a way that I first thought a ‘yes’ was needed to eliminate a practice I oppose, only to discover (again, after many re-readings and some more internet research) that a ‘no’ was, in fact, the answer I was looking for. The issue obfuscated in this amendment was that all decisions about gerrymandering would be placed in the hands of a select committee that did not have to be accountable to the general public. I was only able to side-step this trap through more investigation on internet. Several hours later, I mailed off my absentee ballot, remembering the words of our national anthem. America is a far cry from the ‘Land of the Free’ and in greater need than ever of being the ‘Land of the Brave.’
I have a long list of instructions that I have to follow for voting in Illinois. The local stationery shop doesn't have standard letter size paper, only A4 which is longer and narrower. Nor do they stock the standard 9-1/2 x 4-1/8 mailing envelope for printing the template. I will address the envelope by hand and enclose my ballot in another sealed envelope for security and privacy. The link for ballot tracking blocks me from entering, so I will email the clerk to know the date my ballot was received.
Today I feel compelled to share my experience of sending in my absentee ballot for the US Presidential election of November 5. As many of you know, I have dual citizenship (Dutch, US) and, as a US citizen, I am registered to vote in one of the ‘swing states’ (Ohio). This always makes me feel that my vote counts. I should also note that I have a Ph.D degree and have had a long academic career in the social sciences and should, therefore, be assumed to be able to read and understand a ballot. This assumption should not be taken for granted, however. The ballot of 12 pages, single-spaced, was full of traps that were almost impossible to avoid. I was, of course, aware of the shenanigans currently being pulled to make it harder (not easier) for citizens in the US and abroad to vote, so I read and re-read and re-read all the instructions to make sure I avoided making any mistakes. Even a misunderstanding about the date (date of birth or present date), putting one of the pages in the wrong envelope, not sealing the envelope correctly, not putting enough postage on the (correct) envelope or not mailing it in time could all invalidate the vote. But that is not all. Then there were the joys of trying to figure out the party alliances of the candidates for state and local offices. In a polarized nation like the US, you really want to know whether a candidate is a Republican or Democrat (even if you are not sure what a ‘Judge of the Court of Common Pleas’ actually does), but, alas, even this essential information was not always provided, requiring additional internet research in order to figure out what kind of candidate I was voting for. But the icing on the cake, was a ‘Proposed Constitutional Amendment’ (one page long) about gerrymandering. It was worded in such a way that I first thought a ‘yes’ was needed to eliminate a practice I oppose, only to discover (again, after many re-readings and some more internet research) that a ‘no’ was, in fact, the answer I was looking for. The issue obfuscated in this amendment was that all decisions about gerrymandering would be placed in the hands of a select committee that did not have to be accountable to the general public. I was only able to side-step this trap through more investigation on internet. Several hours later, I mailed off my absentee ballot, remembering the words of our national anthem. America is a far cry from the ‘Land of the Free’ and in greater need than ever of being the ‘Land of the Brave.’
I have a long list of instructions that I have to follow for voting in Illinois. The local stationery shop doesn't have standard letter size paper, only A4 which is longer and narrower. Nor do they stock the standard 9-1/2 x 4-1/8 mailing envelope for printing the template. I will address the envelope by hand and enclose my ballot in another sealed envelope for security and privacy. The link for ballot tracking blocks me from entering, so I will email the clerk to know the date my ballot was received.