BERLIN - Determined to make sure their voices count, some American expatriates who missed registration deadlines or are worried about the reliability of absentee ballots are flying home next week just to vote.

U.S. citizens living abroad hold posters promoting Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry and Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards during a demonstration in front of Rome's Colosseum, Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004. (AP Photo/Plinio Lepri)

Paying up to $1,300 for transatlantic journeys to states as far away as Arizona, at least five Americans in Europe believe Tuesday's presidential election is so important, and so close, that their votes are worth the expense and effort.

About six million expatriates are eligible but a complicated maze of different rules in each of the 50 states, delays in obtaining absentee ballots and concerns about the mail have left many who are eager to vote still nervously waiting for ballots.

While some are making frantic calls to state voting offices or groups representing overseas Democrats or Republicans, others have decided the only solution is to fly to the United States.

"George W. Bush is not the right man for the job and that's why I'm paying to get on a plane to make sure I get over and vote," said B. Carter Looney, 39, a U.S. businessman who lives near Frankfurt.

"There's more to the world than just the United States," said Looney, who will spend 26 hours airborne for just three days in Arizona before returning Tuesday after voting.

Looney, overseas for 17 years, voted in every contest before 2000, but said he felt ill for a long time after missing the last election because his absentee ballot arrived too late.

"I vowed it wouldn't happen again," he said.

FLYING HOME

George Nascaris, an American pharmaceutical executive living in Berlin, said he will fly to New York City Monday, vote for Bush Tuesday, and then fly back to Germany Wednesday.

"I want to make sure my vote counts," said Nascaris, who has lived abroad since 1999. "Every vote might make a difference."

Nascaris said some are bewildered by his 1,000-euro journey to a state that Bush's Democratic challenger John Kerry is likely to win but that won't dampen his enthusiasm to vote.

"It's a tight situation and you never know until the polls close. Let the best horse win," he said.

About 270,000 Americans live in Germany, the world's fourth largest U.S. expatriate group after Mexico, Canada and Britain.

In the Netherlands, Steve Weiss discovered he missed Florida's September deadline for absentee ballots and then decided he would fly home to vote on Nov. 2.

"This is a critical election and I wanted to participate in the process," said Weiss, a banker who has lived abroad for four years and now heads the Republicans Abroad in the Netherlands.

"It's going to be very exciting in Florida and I thought it would be a lot of fun to stand in line, vote and watch the returns," said Weiss, who will start a 17-hour journey through London and New York to Miami Thursday. "I want to be there."

Randal Wall, head of voter assistance for Democrats Abroad in Germany, has been bombarded with requests for help from Americans who registered but haven't got absentee ballots.

"Some are frustrated, some are angry, and some break down and cry because they feel so strongly about wanting a chance to vote. I've never seen an election as emotional as this before."

In France, U.S. opera singer Alexandra Hughes, 53, said she would make an extra trip from Paris Monday morning to vote in New York for Kerry Tuesday.

"I was incredibly angry that my absentee ballot never arrived in 2000," said Hughes. "I want to be sure I'm there. Too many mistakes happen with absentee ballots and we all know what happened in Florida."

In Italy, a 30-year-old from Illinois said he was going to take a week off from his job in Rome to vote in Oak Park.

In Ireland, some Americans scheduled business trips home to cast their ballots. "A few people probably did arrange business travel to coincide with the election," said chairwoman Rebecca Woolf of Democrats Abroad in the country.

© Copyright 2004 Reuters Ltd

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