Iraqis in U.S. Face Big Hurdles to Voting

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050104/ap_on_re_us/iraq_overseas_voting&cid=519&ncid=1480

LOS ANGELES - Tens of thousands of Iraqi immigrants across the United States who may be entitled to vote in their homeland's elections this month are finding that confusion is the front-runner.


What began as enthusiasm for the absentee balloting has given way to frustration among Iraqi expatriates who are uncertain where they will vote and whether they will even be eligible.


With less than two weeks before voter registration begins, U.S. organizers say they still have not decided on the exact locations of up to 25 polling places in the five cities selected to host the vote: Detroit, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Nashville and Los Angeles.


Getting to the polls is yet another challenge. Those who live in New York City, Phoenix and Dallas — other cities with large Iraqi populations — will have to travel hundreds of miles to appear in person at polling centers twice in two weeks. Registration is Jan. 17-23, and voting is Jan. 28-30.


"Iraqis are aware of the elections, but they might not be aware of the process and registering," said Sayed Mostafa Al Qazwini, imam of the Islamic Educational Center in Orange County. "They don't have enough information and there's not much time left."

[nine23]

1. This sounds eerily familiar...

My expat American friends here in Vancouver faced a myriad of problems with absentee balloting, yet we can literally see the Cascade Mountains in WA state from our windows. Some of them actually flew home to vote (at great expense) because they remained 'spooked' from '00.

I wish the these Iraqi citizens well.

[Canuckistanian]

2. Bushco - Encouraging Democracy Everywhere (tm)

...at least while everyone's looking.

[Robbien]

3. Iraqii in the US are no different than those in Iraq. Same problems

in both places.

" Organizers must also oversee the transport of 7 million pounds of equipment, including ballot boxes, ballots, special ink and 142,000 collapsible polling booths. Where those stations will be situated on election day has not yet been revealed.

But the lack of security on many highways makes trucking the supplies too risky. Sunday, an SUV carrying two suicide bombers exploded alongside an Iraqi troop bus on a road near Balad, northwest of the capital, killing 20 soldiers. So organizers will resort to what one electoral expert called "one of the largest airlifts this region has seen since the first Gulf War". "

[Barrett808]

4. Vote this story up! 2.72 w/ 11 votes n/t