City woman helping rally U.S. expats to vote

A handful of American expats living in Manitoba are trying to get out the vote for the U.S. midterm elections in November.

“Our concern is with the erosion of rights — especially voting rights and the threats to them and what’s going on in the States right now,” said Barbara Coombs with the newly formed American-Canadian Expats in Manitoba.

Coombs, who moved to Winnipeg from New Hampshire with her husband in 1990, said the group’s purpose is to help people register to vote.

“Your vote is your opportunity to speak up,” she said.

An estimated 17,000 Americans live in Manitoba, according to the U.S. consul in Winnipeg.

Coombs said it’s important that those who are eligible cast an absentee ballot.

“Voting is a responsibility. I think everybody has a responsibility to pay some attention to the issues and learn about the candidates so they can make an informed choice,” she said.

Voter turnout was 65 per cent in 2024 when U.S. President Donald Trump was elected for a second time.

The Republicans control the White House and both houses of the U.S. Congress currently. On Nov. 3, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate are up for grabs. There are also 39 gubernatorial elections in states and territories, attorney general elections, and numerous state and local races.

The dual U.S.-Canadian citizens in Winnipeg are hosting a meet and greet on June 6 from 1 to 4 p.m. to provide information on how to register to vote by absentee ballot this fall. The rules that govern how Americans living abroad can vote in the U.S. midterm elections vary from state to state. Coombs said they’ll have resources to help U.S. citizens age 18 and older register to vote, and invite experienced expat voters to come and say hello and share their expertise.

“We hope to get a lot of people. Even if you already are registered to vote, please come by and say ‘hi’ and introduce yourself. We’d love to meet you.”

The meeting will be held at the Bill and Helen Norrie Library at 15 Poseidon Bay from 1 to 4 p.m.

The group says it is concerned about unconstitutional actions taken by the current U.S. administration, the lack of response from the elected Congress and the effects being felt by people on both sides of the border.

Coombs said the group is especially concerned about threats to voting rights in the U.S., with legislation stalled in the senate that would require voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship.

“Nobody wants someone ineligible to vote voting, but it becomes a problem for people when they have to provide proof of citizenship,” she said.

If passed, the legislation would create barriers, she said. Americans who don’t have birth certificates or other documents, such as a passport, could be disenfranchised, she said.

It would be especially difficult for women who changed their last name when they got married. Coombs said she had to provide a marriage certificate in order to renew her U.S. passport.

She said she grew up in a border state at a time when Canada and the U.S. “were always best buddies” and shared a similar culture.

“It’s starting to appear that our cultures are more different,” Coombs said.

Since Trump was elected a second time, he’s waged economic war on Canada and challenged its sovereignty.

As a dual citizen living in Canada, Coombs is often asked what she thinks about the “problems with the neighbour to the south.”

“It makes me very sad.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca