Across the United States, Democrats are knocking on doors and rallying support with just over two weeks to go before Election Day. But north of the border in Canada, there is also a flurry of activity underway ahead of the 2024 election.
The presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris appears razor-thin, so Democrats are looking for American voters to cast their ballots wherever they are, including in Canada.
The exact number of Americans living abroad is difficult to determine, but it is believed that more than four million American citizens live abroad.
The main country where adult US citizens live outside the US is Canada.
About 605,000 adult U.S. citizens live north of the border, according to the nonpartisan Federal Voting Assistance Program.
It may therefore not come as a surprise that Democrats are looking for eligible voters in the American voter-rich country.
It is believed that there are approximately 605,000 adult US citizens living in Canada. The Democrats want to involve these potential voters in the 2024 elections
Democrats have started knocking on doors in Ontario to help win votes in what could be the closest election in U.S. history.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman, who served under President Obama, is leading the effort to recruit and obtain votes from Americans living in America’s neighbor to the north, according to a report from Politico.
“I believe deep down that Americans living in Canada can determine the outcome of this election,” Heyman told the publication.
Democrats abroad claim they played a key role in deciding the 2020 election because more and more Americans living abroad are blue.
Earlier this year the The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced six-figure spending on Democrats Abroad to support efforts to register eligible voters, ramp up voting by mail and other mobilization efforts outside the US
“This is the first time the DNC has invested in Democrats Abroad in a presidential cycle,” Abhi Rahman, DNC deputy communications director, said in a statement to DailyMail.com.
“We are going to win this election by engaging every eligible voter, wherever they live, and our investment shows our commitment to leaving no stone unturned,” he added.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman is leading efforts to get votes from Americans living in Canada for the 2024 election. He told Politico he believes Americans in Canada will determine the election
According to Democrats Abroad, the number of votes cast by American citizens abroad increased by more than 73 percent in 2020 compared to 2016. They claim this made up for the difference in the margins in the presidential election.
Arizona counted about 18,400 ballots from abroad in 2020, a state in which President Biden won by just over 10,000 votes. Another approximately 18,400 ballots from abroad were counted in Georgia, a state that Biden won by just under 12,000 votes.
The efforts to get American voters abroad to request and return American ballots come as former President Trump has expressed doubts about the votes of Americans abroad in the election.
Last month, Trump accused Democrats of preparing to “cheat” the election with their efforts to engage Americans abroad.
“The Democrats talk about how they are working so hard to get millions of votes from Americans living abroad,” he posted on Truth Social. “Actually, they’re getting ready to cheat!”
But such claims are false. It is illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections. If Americans abroad want to participate, they request their absentee ballot using a form through their local elections office.
When officials receive that application, they verify the person’s identity using the identification provided, such as a driver’s license, ID or Social Security number.
For decades the process was not controversial, but that is no longer the case in 2024 with Trump as the candidate for the Republican Party.
More than 900,000 voters, including military personnel and civilians abroad, had their ballots counted in 2020.
As the election approaches, Republican groups have filed lawsuits in swing states including Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, challenging the validity of the ballots of Americans abroad, including members of the U.S. military.
According to Politico, Democratic activists have been knocking on doors just across the border in Windsor, Canada, looking for voters to vote in Michigan.
Just across the US border in Canada, Democrats have been knocking on doors in the city of Windsor looking for Americans from Michigan, because the state is key to the Democrats’ path to the White House and the state faces a crucial Senate race has.
Democrats abroad have engaged voters worldwide in multiple ways.
A Zoom event last month for Kamala Harris drew 33,000 viewers, raised $90,000 and helped register 6,800 voters who live, work and serve abroad.
Volunteers have also been making calls and working to engage other American voters abroad on six continents.
When it comes to the seven theaters of war, there are approximately 1.6 million Americans living abroad, including military personnel.
That includes more than 197,000 people in Arizona, 293,000 in Georgia, 264,000 in Michigan, 288,000 in North Carolina, 84,000 in Nevada, 340,000 in Pennsylvania and 156,000 in Wisconsin.