In the big battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, their votes, too, will count.

It was during the elections in 2004 that Sumana Brahman found herself distressed with American politics. As a Democrat living in India, Brahman found it very difficult to cast her absentee vote. “That year was a leverage point for us, for Americans living abroad. When we saw the margin by which our party lost, we knew it was time to change the global voting process,” says Brahman.

She found more Democrats living in India who were dissatisfied and felt disconnected with the political system of their country. That year, Carolyn Sauvage-Mar and Brahman founded Democrats Abroad India.

Democrats Abroad is the official overseas branch of the Democratic Party. This year, for the first time in the history of American elections, citizens from across the world will have a chance to vote in the first online Global Primary to choose the Democratic Party’s nominee. “From our past experience, we know that every vote does count and that the absentee vote has become even more important,” says Sauvage-Mar.

The organisation consists of a group of dedicated and politically aware Americans, now over 200, who regularly come together to discuss and debate on issues ranging from the war in Iraq to economy. While some members are working in multi-national corporations, some others are employed by different social and developmental organisations.

Rita Soni, who heads the Corporate Social Responsibility division at YES bank in Bombay, has fond memories of being an active participant in the 2004 US elections, despite the results. She joined Democrats Abroad India a few months ago, and to her this community of politically like-minded individuals is a boon of sorts. “Being overseas means we are missing out on all the great things going on back home. So it is wonderful to meet with the Democrats in India, and take part in events such as straw polls, debates and discussions,” she says.

Rita also highlights that the opportunity to vote online for the Global Presidential Primary has been welcomed by most Democrats abroad. “The absentee ballot is cumbersome, and there are concerns that the votes may not reach in time and hence not count. Voting online is a bold new move and it will definitely help Democrats living abroad feel like more active participants in the voting process,” she says.

Sauvage-Mar is quick to point out that their fundamental discussions and activities do largely mirror the mood back home at any point of time. “In November, we had a straw poll where Hillary Clinton emerged as the winner, followed closely by Obama. This was right after one of the televised debates, and our predictions were exactly the same as what the analysts back home were predicting.”

How it works

Democrats Abroad launched votefromabroad.org in 2006, giving Democrats living abroad a chance to vote, not by absentee ballot. For the Global Presidential Primary, Democrats overseas will be able to vote online.

For the general election, however, they will still have to vote by the absentee ballot system.

To vote online for the Global Presidential Primary between February 5 and 12, Democrats in India have to register at www.votefromabroad.org and www.democratsinindia.org by January 31.