Internationals staying politically involved
By Gregor Hunter
May 6, 2007 10:41 p.m.
Despite being 6,000 miles away from France, Anthony Panetto went to great efforts to vote and stay informed about the French presidential election that concluded on Sunday.
“The election was the main topic of discussion ““ this was most important thing in France for the past year,” said Panetto, a fifth-year English student on exchange from France.
He is one of many foreign students at UCLA who have remained engaged in their nations’ politics while studying abroad, by taking steps to register his vote and participate in an election in his home country.
Elections took place in the last month in several countries including France, Scotland, Wales, Syria, and Nigeria.
In May, 15 countries will hold presidential and parliamentary votes, including Iceland, Vietnam, Turkey and Ireland.
Depending on the country, overseas citizens may be able to vote in a variety of ways: They can mail in their vote, go to an embassy or consulate, or register a friend or family member in their home country to cast a proxy vote.
But some students said it is difficult to stay aware of political news from their home countries while in the U.S.
Cathal Mc Carthy, a doctoral student in the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, said his schoolwork left little time to research parties or candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Ireland.
“I’ve been picking up most of my information from the popular media, TV and Internet, though I wouldn’t call it easily,” he said.
Others said registering to vote is much more difficult while abroad than at home.
Christine Ernst, a third-year political science student who voted in the Australian state elections in March, said she had to register herself through a lengthy correspondence with the Australian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
“It was a bit prohibitive. I wasn’t really sent any correspondence by the government. I followed of my own accord and had to take myself to their Web sites,” she said.
Though Ernst said it did not affect her decision to vote, Australia enforces compulsory voting and can fine citizens who do not vote. However, most Australian citizens living outside the country are exempt.
But some students from other countries are much more enthusiastic about voting.
“The French community is very motivated to vote,” said Dominic Thomas, chair of the UCLA Department of French and Francophone Studies. “One of the ways they connect back to home and feel part of their national space is to vote in elections.”
There were approximately 1 million voters living outside of France registered to take part in the presidential election, according to Reuters. This constitutes 2.5 percent of the 44 million total registered French voters, according to the Conseil constitutionnel, which oversees France’s elections.
One thing that appears to connect overseas voters is that the technology has made it much easier to follow politics in their home countries.
“(French students) follow Web sites, different blogs and French newspapers online, such as Le Monde and Libération. With cell phones and international calling they can connect themselves with home,” Thomas said.
Students also said studying abroad had made them reevaluate their own ideas about politics.
“Traveling always challenges your world view and makes you more evaluative. What’s liberal or conservative at home isn’t the same as what’s liberal or conservative here,” Ernst said.
