Bob Vallier a Paris resident and LGBTQ+ caucus chair for Democrats Abroad has voted in his home state of Michigan for the upcoming November 5 election. Vallier, who has spent much of the past 30 years outside the U.S., believes that developments in America impact the global landscape.
His vote is part of a significant trend as 1.6 million Americans abroad are eligible to vote in critical swing states like Michigan which is currently showing a competitive race between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) estimates that a large portion of these overseas voters tend to favor Democrats. In 2020, three-quarters of voters using the Vote From Abroad tool identified as Democrats.
This year, for the first time, the DNC is providing around $300,000 to Democrats Abroad to enhance voter registration efforts and mail-in voting initiatives for Americans overseas. DNC spokesperson Maddy Mundy emphasized the importance of every vote, stating, “This election will be won on the margins.”
On the Republican side, Trump is courting expatriates by proposing to eliminate the double taxation on overseas Americans, a move that could alleviate the burden of filing U.S. taxes while living abroad. However, Trump’s campaign has also raised concerns about the legitimacy of overseas voting, alleging without evidence that Democrats are trying to manipulate the process.
Despite the estimated 4.4 to 9 million Americans living abroad, voter turnout has historically been low with less than 8% participating in the 2020 election. In an effort to boost these numbers, volunteers in Paris assist Americans with voter registration and ballot completion, helping them navigate the complex voting process.
The ongoing challenges and concerns around expatriate voting highlight the critical role these ballots may play in the upcoming election.
