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-   -   Dual citizenship us/europe / voting (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=2082)

  • Sep 16, 2004, 08:59 AM
    akosua
    Dual citizenship us/europe / voting
    Hi,

    I'm a dual citizen by birth. I was born in america when american citzenship came by default by having been born there and both of my parents are english citzens. I grew up in america but moved to london when I was seventeen and have been working here now for 8years.

    As the american election is coming up I naturally wanted to vote. After requesting my absentee ballot I encouraged another friend who is a french/american dual citizen (also by birth) to vote in the american election as well.

    She has lived in paris all her life but I know that an american citizen can vote regardless of whether ever having been a resident. However she seems to think that voting in the election may endanger her dual citizenship status, i.e. she may have to give up one of her passports. I am pretty sure this is not the case but have been able to find any information supporting this.

    It also made me curious about my own nationality, from what I have researched it seems I can vote both in english in american elections but I'm not sure about this either .

    Can anyone shed some light on either issue ? Can a french/american dual national by birth in either election? Is this true for a brit/american dual national as well?

    Kind regards

    a.d.
  • Aug 27, 2005, 05:48 PM
    Bloomsday
    Check other dual citizenship topics. You are not in danger of losing US citizenship by voting in a foreign country...

    Marc
  • Oct 28, 2007, 02:48 PM
    PoliticallyCorrect
    Yes, my children are dual US/UK and vote in both elections.

    However, beware of the IRS! If you request a postal ballot to vote in a US election, be absolutely sure that your US taxes are filed and paid for all the years you have been out of the country or the big red laser will be on you.
  • Feb 5, 2008, 03:25 PM
    American Patriot
    Why, if your parents are British, and you live in Englad would you want to vote in the U.S. elections? {rhetorical statement} Seems to me that we "real" Americans (i.e. those of us who were born here, live here and work here (or immigrated and were were naturalized)) need to have our Congress close the dual-citizenship loophole... The quicker the better!
  • Feb 10, 2008, 02:27 PM
    PoliticallyCorrect
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by American Patriot
    Why, if your parents are British, and you live in Englad would you want to vote in the U.S. elections? {rhetorical statement} Seems to me that we "real" Americans (i.e., those of us who were born here, live here and work here (or immigrated and were were naturalized)) need to have our Congress close the dual-citizenship loophole.... The quicker the better!

    Actually there is no way that the 'loophole' can be closed, whether the Americans like it or not! Some countries (UK among them) allow dual citizenship. That means that British subjects who take American citizenship do not lose their British citizenship. Nothing you Americans can do about it! You can take our passports but we can just go and replace them. This is what used to happen before 1984.

    A 'loophole' that should, In my opinion, be changed is the automatic granting of US citizenship to people born in the US. This goes back to the early days of Independence and comes from the confusion that arose when there was suddenly a new nationality available. Why not change the rules to make them like those in Ireland where you can choose either to retain your parents' nationality or become an American?

    That would solve all kinds of problems especially as illegals would not get the choice. And in my case, it would have allowed my children to continue to be British without being forced to take American citizenship to LEAVE the country which was incredibly obnoxious.

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