I'm still on the mailing list for Democrats Abroad, and even though I don't live overseas anymore, I do think it's interesting to follow what they're up to. Just because you're out of the US doesn't mean you have to miss the election - and folks like Dems Abroad and their counterpart, Republicans Abroad, do a great job of keeping voters up to date on what they need to do to take part in the great experiment we call democracy.

There's the FVAP (Federal Voter Assistance Program) - that site is chock full of links for those in military service or US citizens living abroad. And there's the Overseas Vote Foundation, another nonpartisan source for assistance in voting when outside the US.

I vote absentee - I signed up a few years back because my travels mean I never know where I'll be when it comes time to mark my ballot. I also like the leisure of voting at home. I enjoy taking a few days - or weeks, sometimes - to get through my ballot. I'm always surprised by something that 's on there, a peculiar local proposition that I wasn't following or a race I wasn't paying attention to. I don't like to discover those things in the voting booth. Though admittedly, at my last address I loved going to the polls because I'd run into my friends there. There's something heartening about having your neighbor come up to you and great you with a glowing, "HELLO CITIZEN!" But it can be just as stirring to stamp that ballot with postage from your adopted or temporary homeland and send it winging off to make a difference back stateside.

Now, on to the overseas voters!

From Spouse Buzz, a site that offers support for military spouses:

More than 200,000 absentee ballots were mailed by Service members and their families, DoD Civilians, and US Embassy employees across the world as part of the 2004 Presidential Election according to Allison Lovelady, MPSA’s Voting Representative. With this figure in mind and considering it is a Presidential election year, every vote counts especially from those who are deployed and sacrifice everyday for the fundamental right to decide this nation’s future.

Sydneysided, an expat in Australia voted a few days ago:

Yep, I marched my happy self, absentee ballot clutched in my hands, across the street to the North Sydney Post Office, at lunch, paid AU$2.05 and mailed that sucker off to the early voting clerk in Tarrant County, Texas. The only thing that sucked about it was I didn’t walk away with a little oval sticker that said “I voted!”

On Planet Eye, Regina writes about efforts to get out the vote in Spain:

Currently, the group’s biggest focus is getting students who are studying abroad in Spain and ex-pats to register to vote in November’s elections. Many inspired volunteers have signed up with the group to help reach an estimated 90,000 Americans living in Spain.

From Vagablogging

Crazy politics aside, it’s just as crazy to not vote in the upcoming US elections—even if you’re living abroad or traveling on November 4th. (I’m a huge believer in accounting for every vote. Have you seen how close some of these elections have been?)

Hoosier Access posts about the voting process for soldiers in Iraq:

...voting turnout is extremely high. He chalked that up to the improved methods of voting for troops (troops can vote by absentee, email, a secure internet process set up by the Dept. of Defense or fax) as well as the general importance of this election. He mentioned that he’s hearing as much about presidential election in Iraq as he in the United States. Third, he also mentioned turnout was high because of the greater importance in the handling of ballots and the importance that the military has put on connecting troops with military personnel in charge of voting. He mentioned that the ballots are seen as a direct extension of the soldier and that the ballots are treated with the utmost care.

For a look at voting through the eyes of the British media, here's a clip of some earnest young voters on the Guardian. Voting is sexy!
And not totally relevant, but a curiosity indeed, here's If the World Could Vote.

A big thanks to Kayt for the quality link leads.

Pam blogs about travel and other adventures at Nerd's Eye View. And she votes, no matter where she is.