I want to vote


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Nebiros
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I want to vote

Post by Nebiros »

I'm a Dutch national living in Indonesia. After watching Americans vote in Los Angeles and my wife voting several times in past Indonesian elections, I really want to vote for once. I cannot vote in the upcoming legislative elections in Indonesia because I still have not changed my nationality from Dutch to Indonesian (it takes months and sometimes years of beaurocracy) yet but I would like to vote in the European Parliamentary election in June of this year. Since 2003 when I turned 18 I have missed 3 opportunities to vote.

Any EU citezens here? I really want to cast my vote in June. I heard that I can send my vote via the Dutch embassy, but how do I get the ballot? I'm not sure if the embassy provides a voting station.

As for the issues, I don't pay much attention to Dutch politics, more to Indonesia and the USA. But this much I do know: The environment is the most important issue to me which is why I'm voting for the green party (There is no spoiler effect unlike the USA). Also far right nationalist parties with anti-immigration agendas have gained much support Europe. Perhaps my vote will help keep their influence limited.
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SwordMaster
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Post by SwordMaster »

You embassy should provide you with the means to vote, via out of nation ballot the exact same as members of the military use to vote when serving over seas.

I am also a Hungarian citizen and able to vote in Hungarian elections via Hungarian Embassy in Canada, as well as EU elections.
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Nebiros
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Post by Nebiros »

Thanks for the info. Anathema are you going to vote?
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Post by SandChigger »

Nebiros wrote:Thanks for the info. Anathema are you going to vote?
Anathema? :shock:

Hasn't posted here since October. A PM might be better, if the mail forwarding is working and he has it turned on.

:roll:
Nebiros
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Post by Nebiros »

Went to my Embassy and asked. They did not give any specific details. They gave me a form I have to fill in to register to vote. I have to mail it to the given address on the form before April 22. When I pressed for more information they just told me to fill in the form and send it.

The form does ask if I will mail in my ballot or vote directly. I chose mail in. But I still don't know how it will work. Is it just back and forth mailing? I send my registration form, they send me the ballot and finally I fill it in and send it to them? Maybe the ballot will be mailed to me and I should submit it to the embassy? I have no idea.
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Post by Mr. Teg »

SwordMaster wrote:You embassy should provide you with the means to vote, via out of nation ballot the exact same as members of the military use to vote when serving over seas.

I am also a Hungarian citizen and able to vote in Hungarian elections via Hungarian Embassy in Canada, as well as EU elections.
Really, I read that Hungrary has some interesting old sword traditions?
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Post by SandChigger »

Nebiros wrote:Is it just back and forth mailing? I send my registration form, they send me the ballot and finally I fill it in and send it to them? Maybe the ballot will be mailed to me and I should submit it to the embassy? I have no idea.
Probably. Last September when I was home in Ohio I went down to the county court house to the Board of Elections office and filled out a form to have an absentee ballot sent to me. The ballot arrived about the middle of October and had specific instructions as to how to fill out the ballot and how to seal it up and return it and to where and within what time period. If the local government of Podunk, Ohio can get it right, I'm sure the Dutch government has things well in hand as well.

So wait until your ballot arrives and see what kind of instructions they send you. If there's something unclear or missing, call the embassy and ask them. It's not like any of us are Dutch citizens living in Indonesia. How the fuck are we supposed to know anything about this? :roll:
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SwordMaster
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Post by SwordMaster »

Mr. Teg wrote:
SwordMaster wrote:You embassy should provide you with the means to vote, via out of nation ballot the exact same as members of the military use to vote when serving over seas.

I am also a Hungarian citizen and able to vote in Hungarian elections via Hungarian Embassy in Canada, as well as EU elections.
Really, I read that Hungrary has some interesting old sword traditions?
Indeed, we do. They are focused into two areas. The Sword of Attila, and the Holy sword and crown. A lot of legend around the first, the 2nd is a peice you can still see at the Budapest musium. In terms of tradidtion, there are dozons, was there one you were refereing you?
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orald
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Post by orald »

Embassy, embassy, embassy. Why even ask us? First thing you do is check the embassy, or their website.

:roll:


Personally I think it's just an attention grab, trying to tell us about his political opinions in an "oh-by-the-way" way, and a continuation of his posts about the USA elections.
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Post by SwordMaster »

ohhhhh
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Nebiros
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Post by Nebiros »

Sent the registration form. I'm most likely voting for the green party but I'm considering voting socialist. Better chance with them at keeping the far-right from winning more seats. The greens will either gain little or no ground or even lose some seats. My vote could help keep a green MP in office, but it's unlikely that I will help another to win. The socialists are the next best thing.
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Post by SandChigger »

What confuses me most about all this is why you think any of us give a fuck.

I mean, sure, you've been around for a couple of years now and we've sort-of gotten to know you a bit, but it's not like you're really "one of the gang" or enough of an active contributor here that your political views or these statements of how you intend to vote in Dutch elections are of any interest. (Speaking for myself, of course, but I bet I'm not alone.)
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Post by Freakzilla »

If you put sugar on the Cheerios you can't taste the piss so much...
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Post by SandChigger »

Was that for him or me? :?
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Freakzilla
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Post by Freakzilla »

You, you just seem to be in a bad mood today, even for a sandchigger. :P
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Drunken Idaho
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Post by Drunken Idaho »

SandChigger wrote:What confuses me most about all this is why you think any of us give a fuck.
You could say this about any non-Dune-related thread, if that happened to be your opinion. The problem is, it doesn't contribute much.
SandChigger wrote:I mean, sure, you've been around for a couple of years now and we've sort-of gotten to know you a bit, but it's not like you're really "one of the gang" or enough of an active contributor here that your political views or these statements of how you intend to vote in Dutch elections are of any interest. (Speaking for myself, of course, but I bet I'm not alone.)
Is the thread sitting there in the forum bothering you? Will you get no rest until you've made it clear that you don't give a damn?

Hell, even I found the thread rather mundane when it was first posted, and it never really sparked my interest until Nebiros' most recent post, but I'm not going to go posting my useless opinion in all the threads that bore me. You must be really bored over there.

Anyway, Nebiros, it looks like you'll be getting what you wanted, but which party is most likely to win?
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orald
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Post by orald »

Voting is a waste of time- they're mostly corrupt, and the ones that want to act are bound by the political game mechanics. That's why "bitter rivals" suddenly become best buddies after an election.

Just look at the mess going on in Israel, a fucking disgrace.

It all makes me think that maybe the anarchists or whatever are right and all governments just hinder us.
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Post by SandChigger »

Well hold the posts, Drunken Idaho's interested!
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Nekhrun
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Post by Nekhrun »

SandChigger wrote:What confuses me most about all this is why you think any of us give a fuck.
Hey, be nice now. I was just thinking about this over the weekend. I told a few of my friends about this story and we all wondered what happened. Now I can tell them.

Thanks, Nebrios!
Nebiros
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Post by Nebiros »

Drunken Idaho: Most likely conservative center-right parties will maintain a majority in the European Parliament, but recent gains made in by far right nationalists with anti-immigration and racist platforms is a disturbing trend. The far right are gaining seats in parliaments across Europe at an alarming rate. Which I why I want the center-left or even the far left to gain some seats to keep them from gaining more influence.

I could vote for the mainstream Labor party which is center-left but they make too many compromises and do not often stick to principle.

Orald: I disagree with you. Most elections are free and fair. It's just that the two main parties who are always the governing party make difficult obstacles for smaller third parties to overcome. They are always changing the rules of the electoral process. I could name numerous examples in the USA.
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Re: I want to vote

Post by SandChigger »

Let's go back to the OP in this thread a minute (emphasis added)...
Nebiros wrote:I'm a Dutch national living in Indonesia. After watching Americans vote in Los Angeles and my wife voting several times in past Indonesian elections, I really want to vote for once. I cannot vote in the upcoming legislative elections in Indonesia because I still have not changed my nationality from Dutch to Indonesian (it takes months and sometimes years of beaurocracy) yet but I would like to vote in the European Parliamentary election in June of this year. Since 2003 when I turned 18 I have missed 3 opportunities to vote.

...

As for the issues, I don't pay much attention to Dutch politics, more to Indonesia and the USA. But this much I do know: The environment is the most important issue to me which is why I'm voting for the green party (There is no spoiler effect unlike the USA). Also far right nationalist parties with anti-immigration agendas have gained much support Europe. Perhaps my vote will help keep their influence limited.
Have you ever lived in the Netherlands for any extended period? More important, do you ever plan to move and live there in the future?

If not, don't you see any problem in your exercising a legal right (which is arguably still yours only because you've been too lazy to date to change your nationality) which could affect the lives of people in a country where you don't live and, by your own admission, have little interest in the politics of? All because, ooh, you wanna play, too? Change your nationality and get involved in Indonesian politics (like you claim your mother is). Vote where you have to live with the results of your choices.

:roll:
Nebiros
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Post by Nebiros »

My brother lives there. He has an Indonesian wife. If the far-right had their way, my sister in law would never be able to obtain a stay permit. My brother says he will never vote because he cannot be bothered by registration and standing in line. So a second reason for me to vote would be for him and his family. And even if he did vote, I'd still vote also just for good measure.

Also changing my nationality here is a very tedious process. I probably won't obtain my new nationality until next year. Indonesian elections are THIS year and I will not just stand by while my wife exercises her legal right to vote and I don't even though I can.
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orald
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Post by orald »

Nah, fuck that, I'd vote to self-nuke Holland any day. :twisted:

And Neb, there's nothing important in those "third" parties, they just haggle for money and seats like the rest, there's never an agenda...unless they're extremist.

Fun times with only extremists caring to further their ideals and the ones in the middle just going for a ride on the tax payer's money.
In memory of Perach, who suffered and died needlessly.

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SwordMaster
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Post by SwordMaster »

Things got flameish in here.

I would like to use this post to say "YOU GUYS ALL ARE FUCKING COOL"

and...

testicles

that is all
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Drunken Idaho
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Post by Drunken Idaho »

Chig, you reckon Neb is deliberately wasting our time? Perhaps there's more to Indo-Dutch relations than one might assume. :P
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