Who will Americans in Cyprus vote for?
This year, almost half the world will vote!
Cyprus won’t: our presidential elections took place last year. But 28 other nations will. And together, their citizens make up 50 per cent of humanity.
Seven of the top 10 most populous nations are going to the polls this year. It began in January with Bangladesh (home to 171 million people). February brought votes in both Indonesia and Pakistan (together, 450 million); March was Russia (144 million); and June saw India and Mexico (a cool 1.5 billion people) voting just one day apart.
The US, as we all know, is holding its presidential elections this month. And on Tuesday, the nation’s 334 million citizens (of whom roughly two-thirds usually vote) will elect either Democratic candidate Kamala Harris or Republican candidate Donald Trump.
But another 2.8 million Americans are overseas. Mostly, they’re in Canada, the UK, and France. Japan and Australia each have more than 100,000 American residents; Mexico, Germany and Switzerland boast 80,000 apiece.
In comparison, Cyprus has far fewer US citizens.
The American Embassy was very cagey about giving a number, though various sites suggest that either it’s in the region of 2,000 – or, quite simply, nobody knows!
So we went out to a few Americans in Cyprus ourselves. And put the question to them: will you be voting? And if so, who for?
“It’s complicated,” says Nicosia-based Kevin Brown. “I haven’t voted yet, and I’m not sure that I will – but I have a really good reason…
“I’m from the District of Columbia, which votes overwhelmingly blue,” he explains. “So as a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, I know my vote won’t make any difference. The only reason I’d be really adamant about voting is if I lived in a swing state. In which case I’d probably fly straight home to vote!”
48-year-old Kevin was born in Washington DC, and spent much of his 20s and 30s running a US government agency on the hill. He’s actually worked with the team behind Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
“The president is typically a figurehead: the true policymakers are the team that come with the president. So, while I don’t love Kamala, I respect her team; these are the people who were behind the Obama administration, and they’re good.”
In contrast, he suggests that “Trump doesn’t actually have a team – he just has yes men and women. And when they don’t serve his needs, they’re out. That, to me, is a serious policy problem.”
At the time of writing, the polls are predicting a close race – either candidate could take it. And Kevin is concerned.
“I think Trump has a really good shot,” he adds. “But even if he loses, he may not concede. You’ve got to remember,” he adds, “that the US is not actually a democracy: it’s a representational government. It’s the electoral college that actually elects the president, not the popular vote. And if too many of the electoral college refuse to certify the vote, there’ll be fireworks!”
By not voting, Kevin is part of an overseas majority.
The Overseas Citizen Population Analysis estimates there are 4.4 million US citizens living abroad, and 2.8 million of those are of voting age. But, in the 2022 election, just 3.4 per cent of eligible foreign US citizens actually voted.
“I’m not going to vote, because I honestly don’t think either candidate is up to the task,” says 42-year-old psychologist Lisa Charalambous, who moved from California to Paphos seven years ago. “To me, both seem insipid – though in different ways.
“Trump is riding a wave of fear: none of us know what the United States is anymore, and we’re scared. And Harris is all smoke and mirrors: I don’t feel I get clear answers or definite policy.
“The nation is falling apart,” she suggests. “America is an empire in decline. What the people on the street are really concerned with is how they’re going to feed their kids; whether they can pay the mortgage. I’m not seeing any concrete policies that will address these issues. And so I don’t feel I can vote for either candidate.”
Like Lisa, 68 per cent of US overseas voters hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. They’re generally younger than their home-based counterparts: 74 per cent of overseas voters are of working age, compared to 66 per cent of the domestic voting population.
These statistics mirror those who vote blue: according to Pew Research, voters with a degree and those under 50 have overwhelmingly supported Democratic candidates in recent elections. And though we tried, our ad hoc vox pop didn’t turn up anyone who was voting red!
“I’ve never met a staunch Republican overseas,” says 43-year-old consultant Evan Jackson, who’s based in Larnaca. “I’m sure they exist, but I’ve lived all over the world and never met one abroad – I guess people who travel tend to be more liberal in their views.”
Evan himself has already voted Democrat in his home state of Alabama. “It’s a very red state,” he says. “And my dad is a true Republican; growing up, dinner table conversation was always fun! But even he says he can’t bring himself to vote for Trump; instead, he’s going to write in ‘Mickey Mouse’ on the ballot.”
36-year-old software engineer Leah Friedman is another overseas Democrat. She holds a bachelors in international affairs and, in the past, has worked on government campaigns. She’s currently based in Limassol, but has already voted in the absentee ballot.
“I’m originally from New York,” she explains. “But I’m registered to vote in Pennsylvania, which is an important swing state. So my vote really matters.”
Leah feels positive about Harris, who she feels will represent her country well both at a national and international level. But she’s highly concerned about the implications of Trump losing.
“The current polls suggest that’s likely – Kamala is drawing ahead. And I know a lot of people who are truly worried that Trump could instigate some sort of civil war if he loses,” she adds. “He certainly is a polarising figure, volatile and egotistical; if he doesn’t win, we could see nasty things happen.
“Either way, I’m glad I’ll be in Cyprus on November 5!”