Monday, October 27, 2008

Express Your Vote

Technology is amazing!

Finally, today, after months of eager anticipation and repeated ballot reapplications, I received my absentee ballot... by email. I was pretty excited until I realized that my ballot has roughly one week to make it to the States, which would probably set some kind of speed record for Thai post.

So I went to the Chiang Mai US Consulate web page, which informed me that the consulate will be closed from October 23 - November 11, for no apparent reason. Great.

However, then I dug a little deeper and was led to this page, my saving grace, called Express Your Vote. EYV is a joint initiative between the Overseas Vote Foundation and FedEx that allows US citizens living abroad to FedEx their absentee ballots for a special rate. In Asia, that special rate is FREE.

So I'm going to fill out my ballot later today and swing by the Chiang Mai FedEx branch early tomorrow. My ballot is guaranteed to be in Cook County two days later, and I get a FedEx tracking number to make sure. I heart FedEx.

All that said, I know pretty much nothing about Illinois, Cook County, or Winnetka politics, so please feel free to tell me how to vote. If, say, you have a beef with Judge Themis N. Karnezis of the 12th Circuit Court, now is the time to air your dirty laundry. I'm especially riveted to hear peoples' thoughts on the proposed Illinois State Constitution Convention.

6 comments:

  1. What's the proposed convention intended to change? Illinois' politics are a bit defunct, I think it's safe to say.

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  2. Ted,
    This is great news!
    Be sure to have your waybill with you before you go to FedEx in order to take advantage of "Express Your Vote". You must fill it out at Overseas Vote Foundation: https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/overseas/ExpressYourVote.htm

    Note for all other US voters abroad: The Express Your Vote services ends October 29, 2008 in most countries; in some earlier!

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  3. So glad it worked out! Isn't it brilliant? I did that today, and more brilliantly, the FedEx man at the Hanoi FedEx looked like he had already seen one million ballots; he knew exactly what to do.

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  4. Please vote NO to IL Con Con. Here's what league of Women Voters says: http://www.lwvil.org/ConCon_Position.asp
    I love the estimate of a cost of $78Million so those chuckleheads in Springfield can start from scratch and put in whatever they want - Vote No. Also, vote for Mark Kirk for Congress, please. Thanks. :)

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  5. I disagree with your mom. Vote "yes" on the Constitutional Convention. Illinois is the worst governed state in the union. The Convention might be the only venue to force computerized redistricting. Gerrymandering has killed our political process.
    Also, vote yes on the two Winnetka referendums.
    You might be able to get some help on the judges from the online Trib.
    -dad

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  6. Political dissention in the Conbeer family. I love it! Watch CNN or any other major news network on Tuesday to see your SEEEESTER at the Grant Park Obama rally. I got tix! Holla!

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