Voting still takes place while living overseas. Just like in the US many people remain
relatively quiet about who they support and their beliefs but every now and
then you will have one or two blast on their online posts about the support for
one party or disdain for the other. We
live in a more sheltered environment as far as the campaign ads and calls and
surveys and text messages and annoying barrage of campaign related slaughter of
sounds and senses that go with the campaign season in the US. On numerous occasions both Mister and I have expressed
out loud how thankful we are to live in India, away from the media coverage and
true campaign trails of the running mates.
We are “proud to be an American” but when you live overseas you find joy
in the little things that are different from our homeland. This is one we focused on since our return from
the summer’s travels. I’m glad we did not have all that campaign stuff the rest
of our country had to endure since our return in August. We send our condolences for any suffering.
Voting overseas is a much different procedure and the results seemed to be more ceremonial than I have participated stateside. Because we all cast the absentee ballot those votes happen at any time up to the deadline for your state. It seemed that upon return from the summer vacations many people began their absentee voting either state side before returning to India all the way up to mid-later October. After mid-October it seemed that was it, until Election Day. For us Election Day happened 12 hours later than it happened for the US. So all the rallies and voter results were showing for us starting at 5:30am November 7 (12 hours later than the US) at the American Citizens Services Association (ACSA) where people packed in to all the spaces available; the restaurants, poolside, bowling alley any place there was a TV, to watch as the states reported their results and participants colored in the US map provided by the embassy group who put on the event for all American Citizens. It was a beautiful displays of patriotism; Americans all coming together with all eyes on our country.
Later that morning at the school drop off time in the coffee house just inside the entrance at one of the gates many people gathered as they do most mornings but the chatter about the election was strong the morning of November 7. It was nice to compare with citizens from other countries how the election process is the same or different for them. Parents talked about how election results from their country would not be posted so quickly and people had to wait up to a week to know the results. At that hour it was too early to know the US results but this election process has been so very different for us compared to years past in the US. I’m thinking in a little less than four years I would like to live overseas again. I have found the election process in the US while living abroad is an adventure I would like to have again.
Voting overseas is a much different procedure and the results seemed to be more ceremonial than I have participated stateside. Because we all cast the absentee ballot those votes happen at any time up to the deadline for your state. It seemed that upon return from the summer vacations many people began their absentee voting either state side before returning to India all the way up to mid-later October. After mid-October it seemed that was it, until Election Day. For us Election Day happened 12 hours later than it happened for the US. So all the rallies and voter results were showing for us starting at 5:30am November 7 (12 hours later than the US) at the American Citizens Services Association (ACSA) where people packed in to all the spaces available; the restaurants, poolside, bowling alley any place there was a TV, to watch as the states reported their results and participants colored in the US map provided by the embassy group who put on the event for all American Citizens. It was a beautiful displays of patriotism; Americans all coming together with all eyes on our country.
Later that morning at the school drop off time in the coffee house just inside the entrance at one of the gates many people gathered as they do most mornings but the chatter about the election was strong the morning of November 7. It was nice to compare with citizens from other countries how the election process is the same or different for them. Parents talked about how election results from their country would not be posted so quickly and people had to wait up to a week to know the results. At that hour it was too early to know the US results but this election process has been so very different for us compared to years past in the US. I’m thinking in a little less than four years I would like to live overseas again. I have found the election process in the US while living abroad is an adventure I would like to have again.
