By Andrea Shalal
In a historic move, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has announced plans to allocate more than $100,000 towards registering the 9 million Americans living abroad to vote for the party's nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, in the upcoming presidential election on Nov. 5.
The funding will support Democrats Abroad, an organization representing Americans living outside the United States, in conducting voter registration drives and disseminating information on how to vote from overseas, a DNC official revealed on Monday.
According to DNC officials, there are over 1.6 million Americans from crucial battleground states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin residing overseas. The DNC is determined to secure every vote in these states, which are key for both Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump in their quest for victory.
President Joe Biden's narrow win in the 2020 election, with a margin of just 44,000 votes across Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin, underscores the significance of every vote. The DNC emphasized the importance of engaging Americans abroad, as only 8% of them had registered to vote in the previous election.
The largest concentration of American expatriates can be found in Mexico, with substantial numbers residing in various European countries. Harris, along with her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, has been actively campaigning in political battleground states, drawing large crowds and capitalizing on the momentum that has propelled her since assuming the top spot on the Democratic ticket.
Recent polls indicate a favorable lead for Harris over Trump, with a four-percentage-point advantage in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, as well as a five-point lead nationally. This surge in support for Harris comes on the heels of Biden stepping down from the presidential race and endorsing her as the Democratic nominee.
Martha McDevitt-Pugh, chair of Democrats Abroad, lauded the DNC's financial support as a validation of their efforts and the significance of the overseas electorate, whose votes have been instrumental in pivotal races, such as delivering Georgia in the 2020 election.
Analysis:
The DNC's investment in mobilizing American expatriates to vote for Kamala Harris underscores the critical role that every vote plays in determining the outcome of the presidential election. With battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin hanging in the balance, the support of Americans living abroad could prove to be a deciding factor in shaping the future leadership of the United States.