Internet Voting for Overseas Dems in the Primaries

This from the International Herald Tribune. Internet voting….what a great idea.

Thanks to the Internet, Americans who belong to the Democratic Party are getting a voice of their own in the presidential nomination, as the party has agreed to allow expatriates to choose 22 delegates to the national convention as part of the so-called Super Tuesday voting next month.

Everyone Counts, a company based in San Diego that specializes in online voting, is running the Internet voting for the Democrat primary for overseas residents. Everyone Counts handled the voting by Internet for local elections in British cities in 2003 and 2007 as well as the online voting for the Australian election in November, handling voting by soldiers stationed in Iraq and other spots overseas.

The Democratic primary for Americans abroad will start Feb. 5, the Tuesday when 21 states will hold primaries, and run until Feb. 12. In addition to voting by Internet, people can also cast ballots by mail, fax or – in 34 countries – they can vote in person.

“Internet allows people to participate who are busy and wouldn’t normally get involved,” said Meredith Gowan Le Goff, a lawyer who is the vice chairman for Democrats Abroad in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “We want all people to be able to take part in the primary whether they are a Peace Corps worker in Africa or a missionary somewhere in Asia.”