How to Vote in the Primary From Overseas

UPDATE: The 2020 overseas primary is over now, so if you just came here, sorry you missed your chance. Results still aren’t in.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/2020-democrats-abroad-primary-results/story?id=69437036

Wondering how to vote in the primary from overseas? It’s actually not that hard. I’ll tell you. It might actually be easier than voting from home, because unlike those suckers still back in the old U.S. of A., if you’re overseas you can vote in the primary on your computer.

Step One: Give the Democratic Party your personal information

First, you have to sign up for “Democrats Abroad.” Go to their website and fill out a bunch of forms, here…

Go here to vote in the primary from overseas

https://www.democratsabroad.org/join

You basically just have to confirm that you’re a U.S. citizen, but it’s a pretty simple process. (Easier than signing up for bike-sharing in China, that’s for sure.)

Step Two: Download your ballot

Once you’re a member, all you need to do is go to this site and download your ballot…

https://www.democratsabroad.org/primary

You’ll get a .pdf file of the ballot. I suggest you fill it out like so…

the overseas primary ballot

Step Three: Sign your ballot and email it in

This part is a little more difficult. Thankfully, you can get step by step instructions here: https://www.howtogeek.com/164668/how-to-electronically-sign-documents-without-printing-and-scanning-them/

Then… just email the ballot to [email protected]

Boom! All of a sudden you’ve voted! Good job.

Now you know how to vote in the primaries from overseas or abroad or wherever.  Should you vote?

Despite common knowledge in the U.S., and what we’ve all learned in high school, I don’t necessarily think voting is the only, or even the main, way social change happens. The U.S. electoral system is a complete mess. (Try explaining the Electoral College to someone from another country someday.) But, even if voting isn’t going to fix all the problems, at least we have the option to do it, so you might as well, right?

Also, now there’s a growing socialist movement in the U.S. filled with people who are fighting hard for things like healthcare, education, the environment, and other things. That’s why I voted for Bernie Sanders, and I think even if he doesn’t win, the fact that his campaign has gone as far as it has will do a lot more than any other candidate to boost progressive change in the future.

Bernie Sanders at a protest. If you're going to vote from overseas, I think you should vote for him.

 

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