Democrats target Americans living in Australia to help Kamala Harris win the US election

Some 150,000 Americans living in Australia are being targeted by a well-funded operation that could help decide whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump wins the election.

Americans living in Australia are being targeted by a well-funded Democratic Party operation to convince them to vote in November’s election, with campaign chiefs believing US citizens overseas can power Kamala Harris to victory over Donald Trump.

They estimate there are about 150,000 expats living in Australia who are eligible to vote – more than the number of US expats in all but four other countries – but only about 10,000 cast a ballot in the 2020 contest between Mr Trump and Joe Biden.

“Because the margin of error is so small and everybody knows that the presidential election is going to be close … even making a small difference has a big effect,” Democrats Abroad Australia chair Jasper Lee said.

American expats in Australia are being encouraged not to vote for Donald Trump. Picture: Getty Images

A well-funded Democratic Party operation is trying to give Kamala Harris a new edge. Picture: Getty Images

While Mr Trump’s Republican Party has a limited presence down under, the Democrats have expanded their campaigning with recent events targeting Americans at Sydney’s Paris Olympics watch party and the City2Surf run, as well as phone banking to help citizens register to vote.

The party raised almost $US200,000 ($A294,735) for its overseas operations at the Democratic convention in Chicago, according to former US ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman, who said Democrats Abroad already had a significant six-figure budget.

He said 889,837 Americans living overseas voted in the 2020 election, a 73 per cent increase on 2016, with about half casting their ballots in swing states.

“At the margin … we basically won the state of Arizona, we won the state of Georgia, we won the Senate for the Democrats with the Americans who vote abroad. This is huge,” Mr Heyman said.

American expats at the annual City to Surf fun run in Sydney were targeted by the Democratic Party campaign. Picture: AFP

Americans at Sydney’s Paris Olympics watch party were also targeted. Picture: NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

Mr Biden flipped both of those states from Mr Trump, claiming Georgia by 11,779 votes with 18,475 cast from overseas and Arizona by 10,457 votes with 18,435 cast from overseas.

“Now, it’s a much increased effort,” Mr Heyman said.

Mr Lee, a student from Massachusetts who lives in Canberra, said the party’s move to replace Mr Biden as their candidate with Ms Harris had motivated his members to a level not seen since the historic election of Barack Obama in 2008.

He said Americans in Australia typically favoured the Democrats, especially having seen the benefits of universal taxpayer-funded healthcare and strict gun control laws in action.

Voting paperwork will begin to be sent out to Americans overseas within weeks, with early October looming as the deadline in most states to register and apply for an absentee ballot.

“A lot of Americans don’t know that they’re able to vote when they’re overseas,” Mr Lee said.

“In each state, it’s run by their own electoral office … People find it confusing because each state has different rules.”

“We’re trying to make sure every American living abroad is aware of their rights and can actually make their voice heard … The work we’re doing really matters in those tight races.”

He encouraged Americans living in Australia to visit votefromabroad.org for information on how to vote. The Republican Party’s Australian branch did not respond when contacted.

Originally published as Democrats target Americans living in Australia to help Kamala Harris win the US election