Only 16 % of Iraqi Expatriates Have Registered to Vote-Majority in Iran

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBH13F1C4E.html

Only About 16 Percent of Eligible Iraqi Expatriates Have Registered to Vote; Largest Turnout So Far in Iran

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - Only about 16 percent of eligible Iraqi voters living outside their country have registered for next weekend's elections and the largest turnout so far has been in Iran, organizers said Sunday. snip

June Chua, spokeswoman for the Iraq Out-of-Country Voting Program USA, said the process has been slowed by bad weather, the long distances that many Iraqis must travel to get to a polling place and short registration hours, which officials extended by two hours a day last week.

Some Chicago Iraqi expatriates also said they don't plan to vote because they are opposed to the election.

Laith Al-Saud, a social sciences professor at Harold Washington College in Chicago, said he thinks the election is illegal because the interim government that organized it was appointed by an occupying power.

"There's this sort of general assumption - even among those who plan to vote - that (interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad) Allawi is going to win because he's the U.S.'s guy," Al-Saud said.

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[Warren Stupidity]

1. maybe they should just pay them to vote (nt)

[madrchsod]

2. i heard a woman who drove from Omaha ,Nebraska

to Chicago to register to vote-that`s over 450 miles. that`s a really good system to vote..what a joke

[alcuno]

3. I wish I could understand why they are having Iraqis vote in Skokie, IL.

I live next door to Skokie and wonder if I'm the only one who thinks it is odd to have Iraqis vote in a heavily Jewish suburb of Chicago.

[NNN0LHI]

4. Not sure but at one time there was a large Jewish population in Iraq

I think most immigrated to Israel? Not sure.

Don

[Robbien]

7. Skokie is much much less Jewish these days

I have to spend quite a bit of time there and it seems as if every third person one runs into is from Asia, the MidEast, the East or from India.

[diamond14]

8. bush* is just running a STING operation, where all Iraqis in America

sign up to vote in bush* election,,,,,then when they actually come to vote, bush* can incarcerate LARGE NUMBERS of them all at once...


I also find it odd that bush* is using OUR tax money to have OTHER countries run their elections here....OTHER countries should run their elections IN THEIR OWN embassies....but not on American soil...Iraqis living in America should MAIL their ballots over to Iraq...just like American citizens living in foreign countries have to do....next thing, bush* will want to set up OUR diebold voting machines on U.S. Military bases in Iraq and other countries, so they can vote THERE....


This sets a standard for any country to run elections here in America....next: Vincente Fox will want U.S. Money to set up voting machines for all the Mexicans living in America...Schwartnegger will be setting up voting machines in California for all the Austrians (and using U.S. Taxpayers money for all the expenses)...bush* buddy putin will want Russians to have those same rights....This new crap from bush* is OBSCENE...it undermines OUR OWN elections, and those of OTHER countries....

[ckramer]

5. The question is - why should they care?

[babylonsister]

6. Thanks for this. It's amazing to me

the 'spin' I heard this a.m. from Negraponte claiming how many people will be voting in and for "free" elections in Iraq. I have my doubts and I'd like to add, if there was a chance I'd be blown up en route to voting, I would reconsider.

Edited to add I've heard about the lack of polling places for Iraqis in the US, or resulting hardships getting there. Maybe that's the new policy-disenfranchisement all 'round. I don't understand why this could not have been a mail-in ballot.

[NYC]

9. International Organization for Migration.

The International Organization for Migration, which is coordinating the expatriate vote, has extended the registration deadline by two days until Tuesday...

http://www.iom.int/

Established in 1951 as an intergovernmental organization to resettle European displaced persons, refugees, and migrants, IOM has now grown to encompass a variety of migration management activites throughout the world.

With offices and operations on every continent...

From: http://www.iom.int/en/who/main_mission.shtml

I can't find out why Iraq does not have a mail in absentee ballot.

[NNN0LHI]

10. This part sounds like an Ashcroft wet dream

>>>To register, Iraqis have to document their identity, Iraqi nationality and birth on or before Dec. 31, 1986. They must then return to the same location to vote.<<<

[diamond14]

12. yes, our Justice Deparment will scoop them all up, deport or imprison

them as they arrive for the vote next week...BIG SCAM from bushites...a TRAP...a STING operation, where all the Iraqis in America have BOUGHT INTO THE INSANE IDEA.....

the original list of Iraqi voters for America was developed by the Justice Department.....this will be the most effect STING against Iraqis EVER in America.....just put that bait out there, and they all come over to get it....WAM !!!! caught....under USA PATRIOT ACT, there's no need for charges, lawyers, not even a phone call....you're just DISAPPEARED as you arrive to vote, after fully identifying yourself....

[NNN0LHI]

13. And 39% of Americans already think its OK to torture them

Just on the off chance that one of them may know something. Wake me up when this nightmare is over.

Don

[NNN0LHI]

11. Apathy Keeping Iraqi Expatriates From Registering

http://www.aina.org/news/20050122150301.htm

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Apathy and apprehension are keeping exiled Iraqis from registering to vote for Iraq's Jan. 30 elections, the head of Australia's overseas voting program said Saturday.

Despite predictions that as many as 50,000 Iraqis living in Australia could join the electoral rolls, only 6,500 have so far registered to vote in their homeland's first independent election in nearly 50 years. snip

But a larger section of the community is simply suspicious of the process, he said, afraid of adding their names to a government-sponsored list they fear could be used against them.

"They're very distrusting," Hogan said. "After decades and decades of tyranny and government abuse they're not confident about the future of government and they're not confident about the use of registration material."

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