Americans - my vote has been effectively stolen this year. If mine, how many others? Please vote. Polls mean nothing, only the votes that happen and are actually counted matter.
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That's such a weird system! They mail you the paper and you have to use that, and nothing else?
Sorry if the question is dumb, I'm not American.
@aphantastic it is entirely up to the voting precinct. Mine sends digitally and receives only physically.
And I'm assuming you can't just turn up to the US consulate on Tuesday and vote?
@pewnack that's not how it works. You can't vote at the consulate. You can drop your ballot there about thirty days in advance to be taken on any available consular flight.
@hacks4pancakes at least you’re here and they can’t seize you!
The USA isn't and never has been a democracy, because of it's dreadful Constitution, which allows such practises as gerrymandering, the purging of voters rolls, the electoral college, and numerous other anti-democratic activities.
These things are illegal in every other developed Western nation.
It is, at best, a Pseudo-Democracy.
@hacks4pancakes Just for another datapoint:
* Ballot PDF received by email mid-September from my board of elections
* Ballot printed and returned by registered mail from Japan in late September
* Ballot sat in US customs in New York for about a week before release
* Ballot received and counted by my BoE in early October, email notification received
Total transit time was about 12 days, almost normal. Destination was the only red congressional district in a solidly blue state.
Sad to say, you aren't the only USian outside the borders who has reported something like this.
@undead I know. All I can do is sound the alarm even more.
Keep full documentation. Start contacting media and your congresspersons offices.
It may not be a federal crime they are investigating now, but should things change, that evidence may prove useful. There is no statute of limitations on electoral interference afaik.
We've already voted. I hope you get your chance, but even if you don't, just know the polls have been very busy.
@undead I have opened cases with all of those offices, and I've spoken to the media.
@hacks4pancakes oh bugger! You got it in in plenty of time
@dropbear yes. I even tracked it to observe the shenanigans
@hacks4pancakes they always mail my ballot so i get it on election day but after the post office is closed so i cant send it in by deadline
@hacks4pancakes what happened? I thought you absentee voted and it was ok?
(Mandatory paper ballot seized and not released by US customs for over a month)
@hacks4pancakes As the other commenter suggested, I hope you decide to make a lot of noise about it. Interference like what Customs is doing must be illegal
@solitha @ProPublica I've already reported to the media and to voters rights groups.
@hacks4pancakes
Fuck. That. Shit.
@hacks4pancakes
I voted early, but my vote has not been recorded.