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Midterm elections in the United States are coming up soon, and some Americans living in Ottawa are trying to help anyone who’s eligible cast their ballot.
Several volunteer groups made up of U.S. and dual citizens set up a table outside the U.S. Embassy Saturday, encouraging people to vote in the upcoming midterms and sharing information on how to do so.
One of the groups there was Indivisible Ottawa, headed by Nancy Wasserman.
“This is probably the most critical election in my lifetime. You need to vote,” she said.
All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for grabs this fall, as are 35 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate.
The midterms come amid a war with Iran that’s caused gas prices to rise, while other goods have grown more expensive due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
According to the 2021 census, nearly 60,000 people with sole American citizenship were living in Ontario, along with roughly 139,000 dual-citizen Americans.
Nancy Wasserman is with Indivisible Ottawa, a group of U.S. and dual citizens encouraging people to vote in the upcoming midterm elections. (Nathan Fung/CBC)
Voting abroad can be tricky
Wasserman, who can vote in Vermont, said trying to cast a ballot abroad can be cumbersome, with rules varying from state to state.
Some states, she said, allow for people to vote electronically, while others require voters to send their ballot by mail.
“I know the process,” she said.
“But if you’re a new citizen, or you’ve never lived in the states but you’re American, or if you’re you’re never voted … it helps to have somebody to hold your hands through it,” she said.
Jay Baltz is a dual citizen who has been in Ottawa for 33 years and is a volunteer with Vote From Abroad. (Nathan Fung/CBC)
Jay Baltz is a volunteer with Vote from Abroad, the non-partisan arm of Democrats Abroad, and a dual citizen who’s lived in Ottawa for more than 30 years.
Baltz said Vote from Abroad will help register anyone eligible to vote regardless of party.
Speaking personally, Baltz said he’s “appalled by pretty much everything [Trump has been] doing,” including the rhetoric around making Canada the 51st state.
“As a U.S. citizen, I think I have responsibility to vote in those elections, right? They’re very important and we need to step up and do it,” he said.
“We’re here to provide nonpartisan information for any voter,” said Wasserman, adding a handful of people came by on Saturday. “But my hope is that people who are living in Canada see the impact on Canada and want to see this administration change.”
Voting day in the U.S. midterm elections is Nov. 3.