U.S. citizens living in Canada say eligible voters should participate in the Nov. 3 midterm elections as federal turnout abroad remains low.
The Story
Americans living in Canada are urging fellow citizens to vote in the upcoming Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections, with some warning that participation by expats could be especially important in states where outcomes are competitive.
Tammy Wilsker Mermelstein, a Texas voter who moved to the Greater Toronto Area last year, said she will be voting in a U.S. election from Canada for the first time. She said she previously voted Republican until 2016 and has never voted for U.S. President Donald Trump, and called this year crucial because “Texas is in play.” She said Texas “has not elected a Democrat in high office for at least two decades, probably longer,” and that it is “the first solid chance,” adding that “every vote matters” even in places where voters are often a minority.
Midterm elections on Nov. 3 could see Democrats seize control of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives from Republicans. Democratic control of one or both chambers could alter the path of Trump’s presidency, including the possibility of new impeachment proceedings and investigations into some key allies and agency heads.
U.S. citizens in Canada are eligible to vote by absentee ballot, and options vary by state. The U.S. Department of State says voters can get an absentee ballot by mail, email or fax, or by downloading it from the internet, and that most U.S. citizens can vote absentee for federal office candidates in U.S. primary and general elections. Some states also allow citizens abroad to vote for local and state office candidates and on referendums.
Despite eligibility, expat turnout tends to be low. The Federal Voting Assistance Program estimates there were more than 430,000 eligible U.S. voters in Canada as of 2024 and that turnout among Americans in Canada was about 10 per cent in the 2024 general election, compared with about 76 per cent for domestic U.S. voting that year. The organization also estimates overall turnout among all eligible overseas U.S. citizens at 11 per cent. Kathryn Sikkink, a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School who has volunteered with the U.S. Vote Foundation, said voting abroad may be difficult for some citizens, including those who may not realize they are eligible.
Georganne Burke, the chapter lead for Republicans Overseas in Canada, said the political mood among Americans in Canada has been shaped by a “contentious year,” including “the back and forth” between the U.S. and Canada over trade. Burke, a dual citizen who moved back to the U.S. a few months ago after spending 38 years in Toronto and Ottawa, estimated a roughly three-to-one Democrat to Republican ratio among American expats living in Canada. She said Republican voters are often “very quiet about it” and do not talk because they are “not received in a very friendly way in Canada,” while Democrats, she said, can be especially motivated if they are in “toss-up states, like Michigan.”
Burke said she considers voting a civic duty. She described parts of Trump’s record and approach as driving her “cringe,” but said she focuses on accomplishments, including “dealing with the border problem in Mexico” and what she described as Trump’s efforts to “reshor[e]” American industry to employ Americans.
Trade tensions were also cited by Democratic-leaning voters in Canada. Jessica Matwick, a dual citizen who lives in Ottawa and is involved with Democrats Abroad and Indivisible Ottawa, said every eligible voter should get out and vote “to put a stop to an unhinged administration and a legislative body that has abdicated their responsibility to keep the executive in check.” Matwick said “the attacks on Canadian sovereignty and destructive tariff war” are actions she cannot remain silent about, and she said she has family and friends in the U.S. affected by what she described as harm done in a short period of time.
Cody Littlefield, who moved to Canada from the U.S. in 2019 and now lives in Calgary, said he tries to vote in every election and described this election as an opportunity to send a message that what is happening in the U.S. is “not acceptable.” He said foreign policy still affects voters and added that his family and he may eventually return to the U.S., noting that some people may not go back.
The trade dispute cited by voters followed a breakdown in negotiations in August, after which Trump “rapidly escalated” a trade war and rhetoric against Canada. The president signed an order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America, and the U.S. imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods, prompting Ottawa to respond with retaliatory duties a few weeks later.
← More stories