As Kamala Harris and Donald Trump go head to head on 5 November in the US presidential election, most of us in Belgium (and across the rest of the world) will be looking on as spectators.
But as surveys and different datasets suggest that there could be up to 6.5 million US citizens living abroad who are eligible to vote, one campaign is urging any Belgium-based voters to register and have their say.
Gail Evans, Belgian lead for the global Vote From Abroad campaign, says she has been working hard in recent weeks to find the "hidden voters in Belgium" and assist them in registering.
Although funded by Democrats Abroad (the international arm of the Democrat Party), the Vote From Abroad campaign is completely non-partisan and supports all eligible US voters to register and request absentee ballots.
In operation for 18 years, Vote From Abroad provides end-to-end support and information for US citizens, and its volunteers can also step in to help if there are any issues with the registration and voting process.
Importance of voting even if far from home
Having moved to Belgium herself more than 26 years ago, and voted from abroad for every election since, Evans emphasises the importance for US citizens to use their vote even if they feel far away from home.
"A lot of people don't realise that they can vote, and a lot of people don't feel like they should vote. They say 'Oh, I've lived here for so long, I don't have a connection with the US anymore'," she says.
"And we say, 'You don't go to the State Department? You don't rely on the consulate for anything?'. There are so many foreign policies that impact us as overseas voters. So I think it's important that people understand they are impacted by US policies when they live abroad, and they still have the right to decide one way or the other," she adds.
Voting procedures and deadlines vary between the different US states and territories, but in general election officials are obliged to send out absentee ballots no later than 45 days before an election (in this case, 21 September), meaning US citizens in Belgium will be casting their votes much earlier than their counterparts across the Atlantic.
Evans says that one of the key priorities of their campaign is to get eligible voters registered and voting as early as possible, especially if they have to do so via post.
"In the past few weeks, there have been stories about problems with the US Postal Service, and really slow mail. It's important for voters to get their ballots back as soon as possible to make sure they don't get hung up on the US side, and their votes get counted," she says.
Overseas vote can make a difference
Figures from the US Federal Voting Assistance Programme estimate that the voting rate among those living in the US was 62.5% in the 2022 election, compared to a voting rate of just 3.2% among US citizens living overseas.
However, Evans says that the relatively small overseas vote has still made a difference in past election results.
"People might say, 'My state's all blue, my state's all red, so my vote won't make a difference', but for sure in 2020 the overseas vote tipped the scales in both the Senate and the presidential elections for Arizona and Georgia," she says.
"There are some states that tend to have more overseas voters than others, but in practice, it has made a difference and in theory, it could make a difference for even more states if more people returned their ballots," she adds.
US citizens living in Belgium and looking to register to vote can contact Vote From Abroad on their website (votefromabroad.org).
Evans adds that on Tuesday evenings throughout September, the campaign will be hosting "Zoom to Vote" sessions, where people can join a live call to get one one-on-one assistance.
