I need something bigger than withholding good beer.

November 6, 2006 9:41 AM

When it comes time for the ramp-up to the 2008 Presidential elections in the U.S.A., what can a Canadian do to promote his/her viewpoint other than babble on the internet? Are there any laws prohibiting foreigners from being involved in the election promotions or process?

Now that the generic question is out of the way...every time the people south of me (warning, impending metaphor) fart, I'm forced to hold my nose. Because of our extremely intertwined economies, we suffer for the foolishness of the American government. Political grandstanding over issues (like the softwood lumber fiasco) end up costing Canadian jobs and undue hardship.

At the same time, our political leadership on such issues has basically been telling us that we should be thankful for the opportunity to grab our ankles and think of Old Glory (esp. the previous administration, but not completely excluding the current).

So, what can a Canadian actually DO to make a difference in these disputes, as far as trying to ensure those wishing to be elected know what impact of their foolishness actually is?

posted by Kickstart70 to Law & Government (16 answers total)

Are there any laws prohibiting foreigners from being involved in the election promotions or process?

Yes there are, and people have been put in prison for it. American elections strongly affect the whole world and there long been strong incentive for foreigners to try to influence elections here. As a result a lot of laws have been passed about that kind of thing.

For instance, it is illegal for foreigners to contribute to American election campaigns.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 9:58 AM on November 6, 2006

Could someone with dual citizenship run into problems, or is that a free pass to participate in both country's democratic systems?
posted by phrontist at 10:16 AM on November 6, 2006

Best answer: There are laws that limit what you can do, but they don't prohibit your participation altogether. In the last presidential election cycle, the campaign I worked for had two full-time volunteers from outside the United States-- one from Australia and one from Britain. So, based on my experience, I think volunteering on a campaign would definitely be a possibility for you. And heaven knows we need all the help we can get down here!
posted by chickletworks at 10:16 AM on November 6, 2006

Response by poster: So, there is no -legal- way for a foreigner to be involved?

What really sucks is your statement "American elections strongly affect the whole world", while the rest of the world doesn't have a say in anything there. Not that I necessarily think they should have a say, but it would be nice to have some way of making the point that the world doesn't stop at the US border.
posted by Kickstart70 at 10:16 AM on November 6, 2006

Keep in mind that the Guardian's Operation Clark County completely backfired.

Consider how welcome someone from Texas would be in the run up to the next round of Canadian elections. You might resent their advice a bit.
posted by mrbugsentry at 10:27 AM on November 6, 2006

here are some pertinent guidelines from the FEC.

(and, i'm really trying to be good here but i can't help myself, so - canadian overdependence on the US economy is something you should take up with the canadian government, frankly.)
posted by sergeant sandwich at 10:32 AM on November 6, 2006

Yeah, I'd have to agree with mrbugsentry. The Guardian's campaign was a disaster, and no-one should have been surprised. Citizens of any country, just like a family, tend to circle-the-wagons which faced with exterior criticism. While I sympathise with your feelings (as a fellow-Canadian), the wrong kind of effort can be counter-productive.

Welcome to both the genius and the idiocy of democracy. Painful as it may be, the system is always more important than the result.

(yes, yes, there are many flaws in the system)
posted by modernnomad at 11:11 AM on November 6, 2006

dur, "which" = "when".
posted by modernnomad at 11:12 AM on November 6, 2006

Best answer: it is illegal for foreigners to contribute to American election campaigns.

This isn't strictly true. Foreigners who are permanent legal residents may contribute, so long as they abide by the same restrictions that apply to U.S. citizens (i.e. the assorted campaign contribution limits, etc.).

Foreign nationals also can't contribute to Political Action Committees. However, they can donate to non-profit 501(c)(4) "political education committees." These organizations can't endorse specific candidates, but can do advocacy on specific issues and may engage in political activities and influence legislation, as long as these activities do not become their primary purpose. Prominent 501(c)(4)'s that accept donations from foreigners include the NRA, AARP, CAP, and CATO. Note that just because they are permitted to accept funds from foreigners, not all such organizations do.
posted by RichardP at 11:16 AM on November 6, 2006

Yes there are, and people have been put in prison for it.

Do you have a citation for that, Steve?

Was it Mitterand who quipped that the selection of the American president is too import to be left to the Americans? This American tends to agree, but really there is not a damn thing you can do but cross your fingers. Any attempt by foreigners to influence the election is bound to backfire by provoking xenophobia. Sit tight.
posted by LarryC at 1:51 PM on November 6, 2006

Not sure if this is what you had in mind, but you might be able to participate in phone-a-thons that contact voters in in the US. MoveOn.org runs one such program in which individuals provide their own phones and get lists of numbers to call. Sometimes a volunteer will organize a phone party but you can work individually too. If you have lots of international calling minutes this might work for you.

They don't say anything about whether non-US-citizens can participate, but you can ask via their website. As long as you don't volunteer that you're Canadian, I doubt anybody you call would even ask. (Just don't talk about ice hockey, eh?)
posted by Quietgal at 2:30 PM on November 6, 2006

LarryC, there was a Korean businessman who was involved in making illegal contributions to campaigns in the 90's who I'm pretty sure ended up behind bars. I don't remember his name, however.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 5:01 PM on November 6, 2006

Steven are you perhaps thinking of Cha-Kuek Koo, president and CEO of the American arm of LG Group? He served no time.
posted by RichardP at 8:31 PM on November 6, 2006

No, that's not the one. The one I'm thinking about was giving money to Clinton.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 9:01 PM on November 6, 2006

OK, the guy I was thinking of was John Huang, and it turns out he got 1 year's probation. He could have gone to prison under the law, however. (And he wasn't Korean. My memory is getting bad.)
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 9:08 PM on November 6, 2006

It seems that Clinton did a lot of that kind of thing.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 9:12 PM on November 6, 2006