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US elections: 'The overseas vote is absolutely crucial'
Americans living in Belgium who want to have a say in who should represent their party in the 8 November presidential elections should act fast.
The presidential primaries run until June, but this coming week could be a crucial one with "Super Tuesday" - the day in which the greatest number of states hold their vote - as well as a global presidential primary organised by Democrats Abroad.
"It is an amazing year for American politics," says Mike Michener, chair of Democrats Abroad Belgium. "It's the most wide-open contest that both parties have had at the same time in a long time."
The US Department of State estimated last year that there are 8.7 million non-military American citizens living overseas - more than the population of Washington state and on a par with New Jersey.
"The overseas vote is absolutely crucial in deciding elections," says Michener. "When you look back at the history of elections over the past 20 years, they’re getting closer and closer. We all remember the 2000 election [of George W Bush] that was decided by a handful of votes in Florida, and the overseas vote made the difference in electing a president. It makes the difference every time."
Republican supporters who want to take part in their party's primaries and caucuses must vote via absentee ballot in their home state. Democrats, meanwhile, have a strategic decision to make - whether to vote in their home primary or in the global one - depending on how closely fought their home state is. Michener says that in almost all cases, voting in the global primary carries more weight. "You get more bang for your buck," he says.
Voting in the Democrats Abroad global presidential primary is possible by post before 13 March, fax or email by 8 March, or in person. Polling stations will be open at Bogaerts Business School on 2 March from 13.00-19.00 and at the Holiday Inn Schuman on 5 and 6 March from 11.00-16.00.
Comments
The only time they care about us is when they want our vote. To hell with us the rest of the time, unable to easily find banks, difficulty in using US retirement accounts, limited on investment opportunities, mostly thanks to US FATCA legislation; not to mention taxing us wherever we are, often resulting in double taxation! When someone takes an interest in US citizens living abroad, outside of election time, then maybe they'll get my vote!
To the previous comment,
Thousands of Americans living overseas have the same problems as you do. That's why Democrats Abroad has been lobbying hard for years to get FATCA changed and to eliminate the burden of double taxation. We've sent many delegations to Congress to lobby on this. On the DemocratsAbroad webinair just last week, Madeleine Albright said that Clinton's campaign would work to get rid of the "unintended consequences" of FATCA and Sanders himself said that he was in favor of fixing it. So please don't think we're only here at election time. We've been here all along and would love to have you with us.
ADYEPJ, please don't give up- make your voice heard and VOTE!
We cannot complain about the issues without participating in the process to get things changed. Go down to a center and vote this week!
The only thing that will fix FATCA is for the USA to stop taxing people who do not live in the country, repeal FATCA, to free Americans from what is nothing short of tax tyranny and terror by their own government. The head of the snake needs removing, CBT needs to go and the USA needs to join the rest of the civilised world and tax residents, only residents. Everything else is simply fiddling around at the edges and will give limited relief.
Same country exceptions are not going to fix this nor are they going to fix the irreparable damage that FATCA has done to the image of the USA. It's now seen for what it is, an arrogant bully that is quite prepared to abuse it's power to take action on the entire world in order to get what it wants, and too stupid to understand the enormous negative consequences of it's actions on the USA itself. Oh, and makes other countries pay for it.
From what I have seen of the mood in the USA, especially by those who are aware of the enormous increase in renunciations, is we need to be punished harder for jumping ship and trying to avoid paying our "fair share". Anybody hoping for tax relief from a USA that already see's us as tax dodging rich who jumped ship, had better not hold their breath waiting for it.
Americans are not free to leave the USA unless we either renounce citizenship or live under a punitive tax code that stops normal relationships, normal business life, normal career paths. And we can't hide, we are tracked and traced at the behest of the USA. Oh, and life destroying fines over the heads of our families, for little more than reporting mistakes, hang like dark clouds at all times. Oh, and I don't think Hillary is going to have much sympathy with Americans hiding overseas to avoid taxes, either.
When my fellow Americans preach freedom to the world, as they tend to do, I want to punch them.