It does feel frustrating to know that the outcome of the US election will affect the world yet we (obviously) don’t get to vote. The Guardian seeks to remedy this by offering ways non-Americans can affect the election. Non-Americans aren’t allowed to donate money to partisan organisations, but there are non-partisan organisations you can donate money to, like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which has fought for for civil rights for nearly a hundred years and works to get as many African Americans and other minorities as possible voting.

I don’t think I’ll be writing to a Clark County resident, though. Sure, maybe a hand-written, courteous letter might not come across as too obnoxious, but as the Guardian itself points out, how would you feel if foreigners wrote to you begging you to vote for someone? How could you write a letter that wouldn’t be offensive? The three prominent Britons who’ve written examples certainly haven’t succeeded. I can’t believe anyone who wasn’t already a democrat would be convinced.

10 thoughts on “fellow non-Americans

  1. steve

    You shouldn’t feel too left-out: those of us who do get to vote aren’t sure we have any impact on the outcome, either.

  2. mdmhvonpa

    Yeah, I almost feel guilty sometimes. Then again, I dont get a vote in China, Russia, India or Iran so I guess we could call it even. Sadly enough, voter turnout in the above countries is so much higher than here in the USA. Seems like the minority truely rules.

  3. William Wend

    Do countries in Europe have as much voter fraud as we do in America?

  4. Jill

    I haven’t heard of any. Not in Norway, anyway.

  5. bicyclemark

    No but there are declining turnouts in most western europe, accross the board.

  6. Jill

    Yes, and even more so for EU elections than national elections.

  7. Donna

    One of the most useful aspects to getting comments on U.S. elections from overseas is to challenge one’s own faith in and understanding of the system. Defend the 2 (barely more) party system. Low voter turnout. Especially, ignorance of foreign affairs, at a time like this.

  8. Mark Federman

    Jill, you might be interested in this collaborative effort, The World Speaks, that brings together several sites that invite people from around the world to communicate with Americans (on their sites) about the current political process.

  9. trond

    Hmmm…almost ashamed to say I can vote (being of dual citizenship), but haven’t. Since I don’t live (and never has) in the US, I don’t believe in using my vote…

  10. Deena Larsen

    We DO NOT have an impact on our OWN election. Please let people know that:
    1) the HAVA (Help America Vote Act) required that U.S. elections be electronic.

    2) the company that programmed these computers paid a lot of money to the Bush campaign.

    3) There is NO repeat NO independant source code verification.

    Our votes will not be counted.

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