AMSTERDAM — As the US Democratic party gathers for its convention in Boston, Diana Kerry, the sister of presidential nominee John Kerry, has launched a website she claims will "revolutionise" the system of registration and absentee ballot requests for US citizens living abroad.
Diana Kerry — chair of Americans Overseas for Kerry (AOK) — claimed the site, OverseasVote2004.com, will help the group register several thousand more votes before the election.
"OverseasVote2004.com will launch in time for US citizens living overseas who have never voted or not voted in decades to meet the September 15th deadline to register to vote and request their absentee ballots," said Kerry, who has lived outside the US for most of her life.
The site presents the user with a series of questions for his or her last state of residence. The system then generates a form and users are automatically given the address for where it should be sent. The site will even print out a customised envelope.
Organisers say the system significantly reduces the chance of errors in completed forms, and subsequently increases the chance of local election officials placing the applicant on the electoral rolls.
"Having lived, taught and travelled overseas for many years, I am aware of the needs of American citizens living aboard. I know that this internet application will make it much easier for them to register to vote," said Kerry.
"I hope we will stay focused on why it is so important for Americans around the world to vote — because John Kerry's policies will once again make America respected around the world," she said.
It is estimated around six million Americans live outside the United States.
The expat vote was thought to be critical in the outcome of the knife-edge Florida vote in the 2000 presidential election.
Under election rules, American expats can vote in whichever state they or their parents last lived.
Several groups have sprung up recently to spread the word about voter registration. The organisers of OverseasVote2004.com say their site forms an extension to these groups by allowing expats to register online.
They expect all states to be included in the system within the next couple of weeks.
Diana Kerry is John Kerry's younger sister. Her father was a Foreign Service Officer, and she has spent much of her life overseas.
As a child she attended schools in Berlin, Oslo and Switzerland.
She has worked as a teacher in international schools in several parts of the world, including Iran, Bangkok and Jakarta.
Source: Expatica
More Information: OverseasVote2004.com: www.overseasvote2004.com
Americans Overseas for Kerry: www.aokerry.com
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