Democrats Spend $300,000 to Mobilize Voters Residing Outside the U.S.

The Democratic Party is making a significant investment in efforts to register and mobilize voters residing outside the United States for the upcoming elections. Approximately 1.6 million Americans living abroad are from key battleground states, making this initiative crucial for the party.

Details revealed by CBS News indicate that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) plans to invest $300,000 in outreach to voters overseas, targeting both military and non-military individuals. This marks the first time the party has allocated resources specifically for this purpose in a presidential election cycle.

The DNC’s initiative focuses on “Democrats Abroad,” the organization responsible for helping non-military Americans living outside the U.S. with voter registration and mail-in ballot assistance. Non-military citizens abroad comprise business professionals, students studying overseas, and “digital nomads” working remotely from various international locations.

Tracking the voting patterns of expatriates can be challenging due to their transient lifestyles. However, data from the 2020 presidential election shows that approximately 2 million Americans abroad are military personnel or their dependents, while 2.9 million are non-military voting-age citizens. Out of nearly 5 million voting-age Americans living internationally, 1.25 million registered to vote during that election period, according to the Election Administration and Voting survey.

This election cycle, the DNC estimates that more than 1.62 million voters abroad are affiliated with key battleground states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Turnout among military voters was notably higher in 2020 at 47%, whereas only 8% of non-military voters living abroad participated in the election between President Biden and former President Trump. Participation fell further during the 2022 midterms, with just 3.4% of non-military voters casting ballots, as reported by the Federal Voting Assistance Program.

Despite the low turnout figures, Democrats are optimistic about increased interest in the election this cycle, especially given the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris. DNC Executive Director Sam Cornale emphasized the importance of every single vote, stating that the party is committed to maximizing outreach and ensuring that all U.S. citizens can exercise their voting rights in the forthcoming elections.

Martha McDevitt-Pugh, chair of Democrats Abroad, noted a surge in voter registration and ballot requests from Americans living overseas following Biden’s withdrawal from the race on July 21. She reported a remarkable 100% increase in engagement on their votefrombroad.org platform.

Some expatriates, like Peter Scardino, a 25-year-old Democrat residing in the U.K., expressed a desire for a more connected and inspiring candidate. “[Harris] is definitely a lot more of an inspiring candidate,” he commented, reflecting the sentiment among many in the overseas community.

Although political viewpoints vary by country, most expatriates tend to lean towards Democratic ideals. The Republican group formed in 2013, Republican Overseas, also guides U.S. citizens living abroad in navigating the non-partisan Federal Voting Assistance Program for voter registration.

Absentee ballots from abroad have played a significant role in past elections. For instance, during the 2022 Pennsylvania Republican Senate primary, around 6,000 outstanding absentee ballots, which included military and overseas votes, were still being counted when state election officials announced a narrow victory for Dr. Mehmet Oz by just 951 votes.

In 2020, approximately half of the ballots requested by American non-military voters abroad were returned to battleground states. An analysis by the Electoral Assistance Commission highlighted that the number of counted overseas ballots in Arizona (18,483) and Georgia (18,867) exceeded Biden’s victory margins in those states.

Most adult U.S. citizens living abroad reside in Canada, followed by the United Kingdom, France, and Israel, according to the Federal Voting Assistance Program. The process for returning ballots varies by state, with overseas residents primarily using email, while military voters typically send ballots by mail.

McDevitt-Pugh stressed the necessity of establishing an effective infrastructure to educate overseas voters about how and when to vote. She pointed out that due to their often-fluid situations, Democrats Abroad must continually reach out to new voters across their networks in 190 countries.

In 2020, about 40% of states required overseas ballots to be submitted by election day, whereas 60% allowed ballots to be mailed later as long as they were postmarked by that date. McDevitt-Pugh highlighted the complications for voters in states like Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin that require mail returns, noting the challenges posed by unreliable postal systems in certain countries. “You need to really get that ballot in early,” she advised.

Challenges to participation often stem from a lack of awareness among expatriates regarding their voting rights. McDevitt-Pugh asserted that the DNC’s investment would boost digital outreach, especially in countries such as Canada with substantial populations of voters from states like Michigan and Ohio. Recognizing the importance of this constituency is a significant step forward, according to her.

The Legal provisions ensuring that overseas ballots are counted in every state are governed by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), enacted in 1967.

Source: CBS News