Costa Rica is warm and safe. And beautiful. And easy to get to.

Wow, Cindy, I had no idea!! Thank you for the explanations. And more important, thank you for doing this!!!

Cindy,

That's wonderful. Thank you for doing this.

I did read an article that said most states have laws that say an election observer must be a registered voter in the state in which they are observing.

I'm guessing you or your sponsors have confirmed that this is not the case for PA.

In Pennsylvania, someone who is allowed to be inside the polling place is a poll watcher and must be a registered voter.

Poll observers Like me have to stay outside and don’t have to be registered voters.

quote:

Originally posted by Cindysphinx:
In Pennsylvania, someone who is allowed to be inside the polling place is a poll watcher and must be a registered voter.

Poll observers Like me have to stay outside and don’t have to be registered voters.

Ahhh, subtle difference between "watching" and "observing".

An a watcher can watch an observer, but an observer may not be able to observe a watcher.

Thanks again for doing this.


As AM said, we don't have polling places anymore. We are 100% vote-by-mail. And it has been 100% safe and secure for years. We did have some tabulation irregularities a few years ago, but that was not related to being a mail-in vote.

Is everybody really making serious plans to leave?

I hope that's just a fluke in who responded up to now, and that these thoughts don't reflect expectations.

I'd have considered Israel even tho it's out of the frying pan into the fire in many ways (at least, I wouldn't need to learn a new language and I'm already a citizen.) It has gotten horrifically hot there, though and the COL has gotten much higher than here.

From the retiree expat recommendations sites I've been following for some times Portugal is at the top of the list right now. Unsure about qualifications, though, especially as it gains popularity. I loved France (Paris especially) but...like so many possibilities right now, nobody wants Americans nor would a relocation be possible until the COVID crisis simmers down.

But as a singleton whose primary relationships are two sons who already live too far away from Central Pa, it's hard to picture the nitty gritty. Not only the issue of what happens when ultimate medical crises come up, but - well, who wants to die alone?

As I really picture such a drastic move, I am face to face with the reality of how much I'm dependent on the accustomed features of my present location. Just yesterday I was disturbed at by being unable to find my favorite paper towels at any supermarket in time. And apart from consumer goods, there are basics like - driving. I could get around town here in my sleep, but can't imagine tackling traffic overseas especially where it's reputed to be a madhouse. I'm stuck in my ways - can't even imagine learning to drive on the opposite side of the street.

Kind of dismal to face the reality of the evolution from my youthful self who was infinitely adaptable (here in reference to countries of residence), and me as a senior who is so much more dependent on creature comforts

I guess I'm doomed to remain a resident of the US of A, whether it's headed by Biden or - HIM.

quote:

I got a text from the Biden campaign seeking lawyers to be poll observers in PA or VA.

Mr. Sphinx and I did this for Kerry. You stand outside all day, answering voter questions. Like, if someone is in the wrong precinct, you don’t let them find that out after they wait in line. If police show up, that can be voter suppression, so you ask them to move to wherever state law requires. I plan to bring extra disposable masks, water, Folding chairs, snacks, whatever folks might need to wait it out. Last time, we drove A few people to the correct precinct, waited for them, drove them back.

The most important thing is to make sure everyone who tries to vote gets to vote. Advocating for them to cast a provisional ballot is better than having them just leave.

We got trained on a Zoom call. There were 400 lawyers on the call I joined. There were 800 on the call Mr. Sphinx joined. The enthusiasm and determination on the Dem side is unreal.

Have i told you that i love you?

You guys are sweet. I will feel better doing what little I can to help.

Amanda, I have actually thought about retiring in Costa Rica. It probably won't happen, for a bunch of reasons.

I have never felt like the result of an election matters this much. I would have been heartbroken had Obama lost. But this thing now is bigger than my feeling bad for a few weeks.

How would we survive four more years? A whole bunch of us won't.

Do you have to be an attorney to do this?

A friend had applied to be a poll worker but she was turned down because of her age/covid

quote:

Originally posted by Cindysphinx:
You guys are sweet. I will feel better doing what little I can to help.

Amanda, I have actually thought about retiring in Costa Rica. It probably won't happen, for a bunch of reasons.

I have never felt like the result of an election matters this much. I would have been heartbroken had Obama lost. But this thing now is bigger than my feeling bad for a few weeks.

How would we survive four more years? A whole bunch of us won't.

Yes, it's uber important (aside - I feel like this all began with the Gore: Bush debacle (when we WTF were born) and that in all probability Trump would never have gotten as far as he has otherwise.

Apropos, "It's not "just"that some of us won't survive another 4 years" of the monstrosity (nice of you to include us, like me, in the "us" including you).

It' s the whole friggen planet.

In this regard, I'm a single issue voter. "Good planets are hard to find" , etc. I don't have all that much hope we can rebound from where we are environmentally, but four more years of - IT - and I lose hope altogether. I still can't get my head around the idea that both major parties are bickering about fracking and the use of coal and other fossil fuels, as if we weren't on the point of going under because of carbon emissions.

Yeah, it would be scary for those whose livelihood depends on those industries, but that doesn't begin to touch the existential crisis behind the issue. Aggravating the present dangers we're feeding into to safeguard those luxurious union jobs dependent on safeguarding those industries.

They can (as has always been done) get other jobs. (What's the matter with working on new clean industry jobs? Coal miners haven't exactly benefited from mesothelioma anyhow) .

But no matter what Elon Musk is playing with, we really do NOT have a back-up planet.

And this is still is in dispute?

quote:

Originally posted by piqué:
Do you have to be an attorney to do this?

A friend had applied to be a poll worker but she was turned down because of her age/covid

Yes, I think you have to be an attorney, for PA, anyway.

Is it too late to go to law school?

quote:

Originally posted by Piano*Dad:
I actually do qualify for Irish citizenship, and my wife and I have periodically thought about getting a second home near Galway. We were especially tempted post-financial-meltdown when Irish real estate was very inexpensive. Don't know what price are like today.

Then we acquired property in New Mexico as a place to go and a place to retire.

But an Irish retreat remains a possibility. Nice little place along the coast in Co. Galway or Co. Clare. Accent on little.

My grandmother was born in a tiny dot called Inver, near Donegal town in 1901. If I can resurrect her birth certificate the rest is paperwork.

If I went there I'd have to put an O' in front of my name ...

I have a friend who has been working on obtaining her Irish citizenship for a while now (maybe a year and a half to 2 years?). If you want it, you should start working on it now...

I need one more doc then I can apply for my Irish citizenship. Once submitted, pre pandemic wait times were for about 9 months.

THEN you have to apply for a passport after that, so the whole process easily over a year.

And currently, all applications are suspended as Ireland in Level 5 lockdown due to a new surge of COVID.

Irish Foreign Births Register