Expats sign up for absentee votes

About 50 Americans had come to their embassy in Beijing before noon yesterday to register for absentee voting in the upcoming general election.

They sat in rows at a table draped with a tablecloth printed with stars and stripes, filling out forms with voting assistance officers, who helped them understand the state-specific application requirements. The event was the first day of the embassy's voter registration drive, which will last until Nov 1.

"After the 2000 election, people realized that absentee ballots mattered," said embassy spokesperson Susan Stevenson, referring to the controversial presidential contest between George Bush and Al Gore that led to election reforms.