Comments on: On Receiving my California Voter Ballot

By: Rachel Heller

Rachel Heller — Sun, 09 Oct 2016 11:38:32 +0000

In reply to Kelly. That makes sense; I'll do that. Thanks!

By: Kelly

Kelly — Sat, 08 Oct 2016 21:11:33 +0000

The right thing to do is to notify the California Department of Elections that you want to be removed from the rolls because you’re no longer a citizen (and not actually submit a ballot of course). If next time you still get a ballot that’s their problem, but I think you should at least be proactive on making sure you’re not exercising any U.S. citizen privileges.

By: Rachel Heller

Rachel Heller — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 04:03:41 +0000

In reply to Barbara. Wow! That's all I can say! Just wow!

By: Barbara

Barbara — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 01:15:01 +0000

If it’s any consolation, I am a US citizen abroad, and continue to receive my California abentee ballot, even though I switched my registration to Oregon six years ago. I have sent at least 4 letters by post, and half a dozen e-mails to the appropriate county voter registration office, yet they continue to send me a ballot every two years. I trash them.

Conclusion: California in particular is incompetent.

By: Rachel Heller

Rachel Heller — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 19:07:11 +0000

In reply to Jolie Pearl. I'm not equating bureaucratic fumblings with voter fraud. I'm saying that bureaucratic fumblings and lack of communication may ALLOW voter fraud to happen.

By: Jolie Pearl

Jolie Pearl — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 18:26:45 +0000

I wouldn’t equate bureaucratic fumblings with voter fraud. There’s a huge push by Republicans in many states, under the guise of “voter fraud,” to take African Americans (primarily), Latinos, and other, generally more progressive (read: Democrats) people off the voter rolls. If you have a chance, see Greg Palast’s latest film, The Greatest Democracy Money Can Buy.

By: Rachel Heller

Rachel Heller — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 17:01:44 +0000

In reply to Wendy Nylen. I agree. Unless you believe in a conspiracy of incompetence.

By: Wendy Nylen

Wendy Nylen — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 16:15:10 +0000

I am reassured by the bureaucratic inefficiencies in the US. Hard to envision conspiracies and authoritarianism in these circumstances.

By: Rachel Heller

Rachel Heller — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 12:09:16 +0000

In reply to David Lohrmann. It doesn't bode well for security in general, does it, if there's no communication between agencies?

By: David Lohrmann

David Lohrmann — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 11:51:30 +0000

That’s funny. I keep getting e-mails from the US Consulate in Munich even though I renounced over 2 years ago. I initially tried to renounce in Munich in the Spring of 2014 and they put me off, saying there weren’t any appointments to be had before September. Then I renounced at the General Consulate in Frankfurt in July 2014. On the day I got back from my vacation in Italy at the beginning of September, I received an e-mail from the Munich Consulate saying that the price would be raised from $450 to $2,350 in a couple of days, but that I could e-mail any objections I may have. I never wasted my time answering that e-mail, but they keep sending me all kinds of stuff. So the upshot is that there doesn’t seem to be any central coordination of who is or who isn’t a US citizen.