Notre Dame University-Louazé, Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon
Club for International Relations (CIR)
US Elections 2008 / Absentee (Out of Country) Voting / Rate the Process
Dear American citizen living in Lebanon:
Following the US presidential elections this November 2008, Notre Dame University’s
(www.ndu.edu.lb) student Club for International Relations (CIR), in association with Democrats Abroad
Lebanon (DAL), and the Lebanese Emigration Research Center (LERC), has decided to study the
satisfaction of Americans living in Lebanon with the entire Out of Country Voting (OCV) or absentee
voting process.
We would greatly appreciate your help in filling out this questionnaire and returning it as quickly
as possible to the head of this project, Dr. Eugene Sensenig-Dabbous (sensenig@cyberia.net.lb), so that we
may be able to get as accurate a view as possible of the current situation, as well as of the strengths and
weaknesses of the OCV system in the US. Through this questionnaire, we will seek to find ways through
which OCV can be improved, become more accessible to all Americans living abroad, and maximize
participation, first and foremost stressing on the importance of the issues of accessibility and transparency.
Please note that the CIR and LERC have done their best to design this questionnaire in a nonpartisan manner. The results will be presented to the general public and will be made freely available to
all parties interested, e.g. online. The anonymity of all participants will be fully respected. The three
questions marked "optional" should only be answered if you wish to be cited and possibly quoted.
Please consider that this questionnaire should only take about 20-30 minutes to be completed.
Thank you for your cooperation.
This project is being carried out by the following three institutions:
Club for International Relations
Democrats Abroad Lebanon
Jad Ghosn
CIR president
Eugene Sensenig-Dabbous
DAL vice-chair
swoosh3@hotmail.com
ir.club@ndu.edu.lb
sensenig@cyberia.net.lb
team@democratsabroad-
lebanon.org
Lebanese Emigration Research
Center
Guita Hourani
LERC director
ghourani@ndu.edu.lb
babdelkhalek@ndu.edu.lb
Please submit this questionnaire ASAP by email to sensenig@cyberia.net.lb
Section 1
1.1. Name (optional) ____________________________________________________
1.2. Contact Information (optional):
Street Address:
Zip code:
Email Address:
Telephone Number:
1.3. Age Group:
18-20
21-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
61-70
71-80
Older than 80
1.4 How many years have you spent in Lebanon?
up to 5 years
6-10 years
11-15 years
16-20 years
21-25 years
26-30 years
31-35 years
36-40 years
41 or more years
1.5. Sex:
Male
Female
1.6. There are many ethnic backgrounds that make up the rich diversity of the United States of
America.
What is your ethnic background; please select one or more answers from the following:
Hispanic
African-American
European-American
Arab-American
East Asian-American
Native American
Other, please specify ______________
1.7. There are many religious backgrounds that make up the rich diversity of the US. What is your
religious denomination in any; please select an answer from the following:
Protestant
Catholic
Eastern Orthodox
Jewish
Muslim
Other, please specify ______________
None
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1.8. Please mention your political affiliations:
Republican
Democrat
Other, please specify: ______________
Green
independent
Libertarian
1.9. Do you currently have American citizenship?
Yes
No
1.10. Were you born in the US?
Yes
No
1.11. If no, were you born in Lebanon?
Yes
No
1.12. If you answered yes to 1.10, in which state and voting district (county/township/parish) in the US
were you born?
___________________________________________________________________________
1.13. Was your father born in the US?
Yes
No
1.14. Was your mother born in the US?
Yes
No
1.15. If you have American citizenship, are you registered as a voter in your district of birth?
Yes
No
Not applicable
1.16. If you are registered as a voter, have you ever transferred your voter registration from your place
of birth to another voting district?
Yes
No
Not applicable
1.17. If yes, to which voting districts(s) and state(s) did you transfer your voter registration? (multiple
answers possible)
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
1.18. Are you currently residing in Lebanon?
Yes
No
1.19. If yes, is Lebanon your primary country of residence?
Yes
No
1.20. If you answered no, which country is your primary country of residence? (mention only one)
___________________________________________________________________
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1.21. Do you have any citizenship other than your American citizenship?
Yes
No
Not applicable
1.22. If yes, do you have Lebanese citizenship?
Yes
No
1.23. If you answered yes to 1.21, do you prefer using your US citizenship for official business?
Yes
No
1.24. What is your marital status?
Married
Single
Widowed
Separated
Divorced
1.25. If you are/were married, is/was your spouse a US citizen?
Yes
No
1.26. Do you speak English on a regular basis (at least once a week)?
Yes
No
1.27. If yes, please assess your fluency level:
Excellent
Good
Fair
1.28. Do you read English on a regular basis (at least once a week)?
Yes
No
1.29. If yes, assess your skill level:
Excellent
Good
Fair
1.30. Do you write English on a regular basis (at least once or twice a month)?
Yes
No
1.31. If yes, assess your skill level:
Excellent
Good
Fair
1.32. Do you speak any language other than English on a regular basis (at least once a week)?
Yes
No
1.33. If yes, please specify ____________________________
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1.34. Do you have children?
Yes
No
1.35. If yes, please specify their number, age, and gender. (Please put [M] for male and [F] for
female), speak English (please put [Y] for yes and [N] for No), nationality of the children (please put
[Y] for yes and [N] for No).
Number
children
of
Age
Gender
Speak fluent
English
Are they registered
as US citizens
1.36. Which of the following represents the highest level of education that you have completed?
Partial secondary school education or less
Secondary school graduate
Bachelor degree
Masters degree
Terminal university degree (doctorate or equivalent)
Post-graduate training
Section 2
2.1. Are you currently employed?
Yes
No
2.2. If yes, please select your current area of employment: (tick one only)
A diasporic organization (for Americans abroad)
An intergovernmental organization
An international organization
A government institution representing your country of residence (Lebanon)
A government institution representing your sending country (US)
An NGO/Non-profit organization
An academic institution
A business/practice
A family business
Others, please specify____________________
2.3. If you are working full-time for a (Americans abroad) diasporic organization, what is the name and
location(s) of the diasporic organization? (Optional).
_________________________________________________________________________
2.4. If you are not employed by or the leader of a diasporic organization, are you an active member of
any diasporic organization?
Yes
No
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2.5. If yes, is the organization (you may tick more than one):
A cultural association
A political association
A development association
A financial institution
A religious association
A village association
A research center
An academic/educational institution
A chamber of commerce
Other (Please specify: _________________________________________________)
2.6. What is your role within the organization (you may tick more than one)?
I send donations
I participate in the activities set up by the organization
I volunteer my time as an organizer
Other, please specify____________________
2.7. If you volunteer your time at the organization, is it:
Few times a week
Few times a month
Few times a year
2.8. Does the organization you are involved with have other offices in other countries?
Yes
No
2.9. If yes, how many offices are there approximately? And where?
__________________________________________________________________________
Section 3
3.1. How often do you visit the US?
Very often
From time to time
Never
3.2. If you visit the US, when was your last visit?
___________________________________________________________________________
3.3. Do you actively follow the American news?
Yes
No
3.4. If yes, how often:
Very often
From time to time
3.5. If you follow the American news, what is the medium you use (You may tick more than one):
Print version of American newspapers and/or magazines
Online American newspapers and/or magazines
Online news bulletins and discussion groups
American satellite TV channels
Others, please specify_________________________________
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3.6. If yes, what type of news do you follow? (You may tick more than one):
Political
Cultural
Social
Business related
Others, please specify_________________________________
3.7. Do you participate in the activities of either the Democrats Abroad (DAL) or the Republicans
Abroad (RAL) in Lebanon on a regular basis?
Yes
No
3.8. Would you be interested in attending an event organized by either the RAL or the DAL in your
region of Lebanon (especially before elections)?
Yes
No
3.9. If yes, what type of event would interest you the most? (You may tick more than one)
Political
Social/Cultural
Business related
Educational
3.10. Would you consider volunteering as a campaign worker for either the DAL or the RAL?
Yes
No
3.11. Do you feel that the pre-election activities organized by the RAL or the DAL in 2007/2008 had any
effect on your voting preferences?
Yes
No
Section 4
4.1. Are you eligible to vote in the US?
Yes
No
4.2. If yes, did you vote during the 2008 American presidential elections?
Yes
No
Not applicable
4.3. If you voted during the 2008 American presidential elections, what were your main reasons for
voting?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
4.4. If you did not vote during the 2008 presidential elections, what were your main reasons for not
voting?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
4.5. Did you help organize the absentee voting process for American expats wishing to vote outside of
the US?
Yes
No
Not applicable
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4.6. If you did vote in the recent presidential elections, how did you register?
By mail (post)
At the embassy
Online
By fax
Other: (please mention)__________________________
4.7. Did the DAL or RAL organize registration events before the primaries in your area of Lebanon?
Yes
No
4.8. Did the RAL or DAL organize registration events leading up to voting in the general elections in
your area?
Yes
No
4.9. Did the DAL or RAL provide you with all the information required for registering and voting as an
eligible voter?
Yes
No
4.10. Were there any representatives from either American political party monitoring your registration
or voting process?
Yes
No
4.11. How practical did you find the registration process, on a scale of one to five? (1 being not at all
practical and 5 being very practical)
1
2
3
4
5
4.12. If your state’s electoral system involves email or online ballots, how easy were they to fill out?
Very easy
Somewhat easy
Slightly difficult
Difficult
Very difficult
4.13. In the voter registration/ballot request process, did you have any questions and/or problems?
Yes
No
4.14. If yes, please mention them:
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
4.15. Did you file a voter registration/ballot request form for the 2008 primary or general elections?
(tick one only)
Yes, I sent in a voter registration/ballot request form
No, I did not send in a voter registration/request form
No, my ballot/s arrived without filing a new form
No, I tried but was unable to complete the process
4.16. Would you recommend the use of the same ballots used in 2008 for the next election (2010)?
Yes
No
Not applicable
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4.17. Would you prefer to have a uniform format for all ballots in all states at the next election?
Yes
No
Not applicable
4.18. Did your absentee ballot arrive in time from your voting district in the United States?
Yes
No
4.19. If a non-partisan, non-governmental organisation abroad facilitated the process of registering to
vote or of casting your ballot, please indicates which one (or more) below?
American Women's Club
American Chamber of Commerce
American Voices Abroad (AVA)
Other: (please mention) __________________________
4.20. At the next elections, would you be willing to vote in person at a polling station located at the US
embassy or consulate in your country of residence?
Yes
No
Not applicable
4.21. If yes, but the embassy or consulate is located several hundred kilometers away from your place
of residence, would you be willing to invest the necessary travel time and money needed to vote there?
Yes
No
Not applicable
4.22. At the next elections, would you be willing to vote in person at a US government approved polling
station located at a place other than the US embassy or consulate in your country of residence?
Yes
No
Not applicable
4.23. If you had the opportunity to vote by fax, would you vote by fax in the 2010 American elections?
Yes
No
Not applicable
4.24. If you had the opportunity to vote by e-mail, would you vote by email in the 2010 American
elections?
Yes
No
Not applicable
4.25. If you had the opportunity to vote by proxy, would you vote by proxy in the 2010 American
elections?
Yes
No
Not applicable
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4.26. Many countries around the world have reserved seats in the upper and lower houses of
parliament (the equivalent of the US Senate and House of Representatives respectively) for their
diaspora population. Below is a list of arguments commonly used in support of reserved seats in
parliament for expatriates. Please rate each argument according to whether you think it is extremely
important, somewhat important, neutral, not very important, or not at all important:
ARGUMENT
EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT
SOMEWHAT
IMPORTANT
NEUTRAL
NOT VERY
IMPORTANT
NOT AT ALL
IMPORTANT
Americans living abroad make
great contributions to the US
and must be able to have a say
in how the country is governed,
through their own members of
the Senate and House of
Representatives.
American residents are not
making good voting choices
with respect to issues directly
related to the diaspora.
American residents do not have
a true grasp of international
politics and are making choices
with severe international
political consequences.
The position of the political
party or community you are a
member of is in favor of
reserved seats in the Senate
and House of Representatives.
Reserved seats in the Senate
and House of Representatives
will allow you to vote for the
candidate who will create
favorable investment
opportunities for American
expats.
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4.27. Below is a list of arguments commonly used against reserved seats in the upper and lower houses
of parliament for the diaspora population. Please rate each argument according to whether you think it
is extremely important, somewhat important, neutral, not very important, or not at all important in
determining your opinion:
ARGUMENT
EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT
SOMEWHAT
IMPORTANT
NEUTRAL
NOT VERY
IMPORTANT
NOT AT ALL
IMPORTANT
Americans living abroad do not
pay taxes in the US because of the
generous write-off provisions, and
therefore should not have the
right to be represented directly in
the Senate and House of
Representatives.
Introducing reserved seats in the
Senate and House of
Representatives for the US
diaspora population is not costeffective.
Americans living abroad are not
making good voting choices (e.g.
you think they are influenced by
the foreign policies of the
countries they are residing in),
and therefore should not have the
right to elect their own
representatives in the Senate and
House of Representatives.
Americans living abroad are not
aware of local American politics
and their votes will have negative
consequences for American
residents.
The position of the political party
or community that you are part of
is not in favor of reserved seats in
the Senate and House of
Representatives and for the
diaspora.
Section 5
5.1. If you voted from Lebanon during the 2008 US presidential elections, did you observe some sort of
monitoring mechanism in place?
Yes
No
Not applicable
5.2 If yes, in which field was it being implemented?
Registration
Voting
Financial expenditures
Other: (please specify)____________________________
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5.3. If you answered yes to 5.1, who was conducting it?
The US embassy
The political parties abroad
An independent commission (e.g. FEC)
Representatives of a US state in your country of residence
Representatives of the US federal government in your country of residence
Other: (please specify)____________________________
5.4. What did the monitoring process consist of?
Observer commission on election day
Post election recount
Pre election prediction of voter turnout and expected results
Other: (please specify)____________________________
5.5. How satisfied were you with the integrity of the voting process in these elections?
EXTREMELY
SATISFIED
SOMEWHAT
SATISFIED
NEUTRAL
NOT VERY
SATISFIED
NOT AT ALL
SATISFIED
5.6. During the 2008 elections, from where do you think the diasporic partisan organizations (DAL, RAL,
Greens, Libertarians, etc.) were receiving the funding for their campaigns and events? (You may tick
more than one)
Contributions from their members
Funding from their head offices in the US
Public fundraising events
Sponsorship from various American corporations/groups/individuals
Sponsorship from various non-American corporations/groups/individuals
Unknown
Other: (please specify)____________________________
5.7. Did you notice any specific monitoring device in place to prevent the illegal funding of the partisan
organizations by non-American actors?
Yes
No
Not applicable
5.8. Please rank the following voting methods from most transparent to least transparent (1 being the
most transparent and 6 being the least transparent)
Voting by post
Voting by fax
Voting in person through the American diplomatic mission in your country of residence
Voting in person in a US government approved polling station outside your diplomatic mission
Voting by proxy
Electronic voting
5.9. Would you prefer to have a unified monitoring system throughout all of the US and abroad?
Yes
No
Not applicable
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5.10. If yes, for which of the following would you like to see it be implemented? (you may tick more
than one)
Registration
Voting
Financial expenditures
Other: (please specify)____________________________
5.11. If you answered yes to question 5.9, which would you recommend?
Observer commission on election day
Post election recount
Pre election prediction of voter turnout and expected results
Other: (please specify)____________________________
Section 6
6.1. As far as you are aware, does the American diplomatic mission (embassy or consulate) in Lebanon
have a website?
Yes
No
I do not know
6.2. If yes, how often do you visit the website?
Never
Sometimes
Often
6.3. As far as you are aware, is the website regularly updated?
Yes
No
I do not know
6.4. Are you satisfied with the content of the website?
EXTREMELY
SATISFIED
SOMEWHAT
SATISFIED
NEUTRAL
NOT VERY
SATISFIED
NOT AT ALL
SATISFIED
6.5. Have you ever received postal notification, faxes, or emails from the American diplomatic mission
in Lebanon?
Yes
No
Not applicable
6.6. In the months prior to the 2008 election, did you receive post, a fax, or email from the American
diplomatic mission in Lebanon informing you of election dates and requirements for voting in the US?
Yes
No
Not applicable
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6.7. As far as you are aware, does the embassy in Lebanon organize events (cultural, social, political,
business-related, or educational) for American citizens?
VERY OFTEN
OFTEN
SOMETIMES
NEVER
Cultural events
Social events
Political events
Events with a
business aspect
Educational
events
6.8. How would you rate your relationship with the American diplomatic mission in Lebanon?
THE BEST
BETTER THAN
AVERAGE
NEUTRAL
AVERAGE
NEEDS
IMPROVEMENT
6.9. How efficient is your embassy in processing your requests?
HIGHLY EFFICIENT
SOMEWHAT
EFFICIENT
INEFFICIENT
NOT APPLICABLE
6.10. Do you think that it is important that the embassy maintain neutrality during elections?
Yes
No
Not applicable
6.11. If yes, which measures should be taken to ensure neutrality (you may tick more than one)?
Ensure partisan balance among embassy staff
Instill transparency and monitoring of embassy activities
Ensure regular rotation of the ambassador and embassy staff
Ensure a verifiable complaints system
Other: (please specify)____________________________
6.12. Do you think that it is important that the members of the embassy staff, or other American
federal government employees working in Lebanon, who are US citizens should be permitted to
participate in US partisan politics, e.g. join the RAL or DAL?
Yes
No
Not applicable
THANK YOU FOR HELPING US WITH THIS PROJECT
(Kindly return this duly filled out questionnaire to sensenig@cyberia.net.lb)
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