Did you know that Metro Vancouver has the world's largest population of American citizens living outside the United States? In 2016, a report by the US Federal Voting Assistance program estimated that Canada's third largest urban region is home to 183, 155 eligible US voters and that is more than any other international city outside the US.  

Director of SFU's World Literature Program, Dr. Melek Ortabasi and others calling themselves "Americans of SFU" are making efforts to mobilize this local population of American voters and register as many U.S. citizens as possible to vote prior to the upcoming US midterm elections in November 2018.

The group has reserved a table in Convo Mall on September 6th from 10 am-3 pm during SFU's Week of Welcome to inform and register American voters. Ortabasi says US Vice Consul Weldon Montgomery has committed to attend. 

Whether you are a faculty, staff, or student at SFU or whether you have American friends, the group says now it the time to get involved. They invite the SFU community to bring friends, family, and colleagues by the table to get registered and learn more about how to get involved in mobilizing the vote outside the US.   

Ortabasi says she is planning on organizing some phone banking parties in the coming weeks as well as calling in support of Democrats Abroad, and the support of various candidates/campaigns of choice. She invites anyone interested in being kept in the loop to get in touch via email and to pass the message on to their networks.  

Links and Connections:  

• http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-us-expat-population
• Getting out the U.S. vote overseas: www.votefromabroad.org
• U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Canada Information on Voting in the 2018 U.S. Elections.