Democrats court nearly 32,000 US voters in Switzerland

The Democrats Abroad are campaigning in Swiss public transport to mobilise US citizens for the November midterm elections, hoping more of them support the Democratic Party, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported.

Flyers in trams in Basel and Geneva, as well as posters in Zurich, ask, “Are you a US citizen?” They urge Americans living in Switzerland to register in their home states and take part in the elections. QR codes link to non-partisan election information websites.

The campaign is being organised by Democrats Abroad Switzerland, not by the US government. The group hopes it has more supporters among the US citizens it reaches than the Republicans, the party of President Donald Trump.

According to federal figures, almost 32,000 US citizens eligible to vote lived in Switzerland during the 2024 presidential election. About half of them also hold Swiss citizenship. Liz Voss, president of the Democrats Abroad chapter in Basel, said the organisation has several thousand members in Switzerland but did not give an exact figure.

Most US citizens in Switzerland come from California and Texas, Voss said, while the largest communities are in Basel, Geneva and Zurich. Many people move to Basel to work in the pharmaceutical industry, she said, often coming from Silicon Valley, northern California, New York or New Jersey.

Midterm elections will decide Congress seats

The US midterm elections take place halfway between presidential elections and are seen partly as a performance review of the sitting president. All members of the House of Representatives will be elected, along with one third of the Senate, or 33 senators. Governors will also be elected in 36 of the 50 states.

Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress. They hold 219 seats in the House, including one independent, compared with 212 for Democrats, while four seats are vacant. In the Senate, Republicans hold 53 of the 100 seats and Democrats hold 47, including two independents.

Democrats Abroad also campaigned among voters in Switzerland during the 2022 midterms. Voss said large-scale advertising on public transport had then appeared to be the best use of the organisation’s funds after the pandemic made in-person meetings more difficult.

This time, Trump is a central focus of the campaign. Voss said many members had viewed his possible return to office as an existential threat. She said the organisation’s work is now shaped by whether it can stop his political agenda.

The current campaign is expected to cost a low five-figure sum. Democrats Abroad is financed by donations and does not charge membership fees. The posters are appearing now because transport operators are offering seasonally favourable rates, while new data-protection rules have prevented paid political advertising on social media platforms. The campaign also includes postcards sent to members.

Republicans Overseas, the Republican counterpart, did not respond to an SRF inquiry about its activities in Switzerland.