American citizens living in Canada will be able to use the Internet to vote in the U.S. presidential primaries for the first time in 2008, but only if they're Democrats.
Democrats Abroad, an organization representing more than seven million Americans living outside the U.S., is holding its first "global primary," allowing American ex-pats in Canada and around the world to vote online as part of a virtual 51st state.
Unlike Republicans Abroad, whose members must still vote by absentee ballot in their home states, Democrats Abroad is recognized as an official branch of the Democratic National Committee, and will send 22 delegates to the party's convention in August, putting its influence on par with states like Idaho (23) and North Dakota (21).
In previous elections, these delegates were selected in caucuses held around the globe, requiring American citizens to actually show up at polling centres. In 2004, a group of just 80 Americans gathered in Toronto's Metro Hall to showcase their support for John Kerry or Howard Dean.
But in next year's primary, Democrats across Canada can vote through the mail or on the Internet, and organizers hope to dramatically increase voter involvement...
Does this really constitute the equivalent of a 51st state, or is the headline deliberately provocative?
1 comment:
Republican outrage to commence immediately ... because they didn't think of this first.
I read some of the comments. I especially like the idiots who are claiming that the Democrats were against electronic/internet voting in 2004. Uh, no, they were against giving yet another huge government contract to a company, specifically Diebold, who has proven consistently unable to provide a secure platform. It isn't quite the same thing, except to whiny Limboogers.
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