Fear, Exclusion Prevent Haitian-Americans from Voting

Cyril Josh Barker | 9/9/2010, 8:59 a.m.

As Wyclef Jean continues to criticize the Haitian government for not allowing him to run for president, questions are being raised about the Haitian government's attitude toward Haitians not living in the country.

Unlike in the United States, Haitians who aren't living in their country at the time of an election are not able to vote. There's no system set up to submit a votes from another country. This is due to the stigma that spending time away from the country leads the Haitian government to give the label of those not in the country as uninvited.

"Haiti has gone through a lot of changes since the overthrow of the old government," said Haitian-American and political candidate Rodneyse Bichotte. "The constitution was revamped, and it takes time for a country such as Haiti, which has been under in dictatorship so many years, to grab the meaning of democracy."


"If you look or sound American with Haitian roots, then you are not invited," she said. "Sometimes, people get backlash for being away so long. I'm not sure why they make it so difficult."


