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Election fever has gripped the American community in the UAE. Tens of thousands of US expats have already cast their ballot for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump ahead of the November 8 election.
There are between 50,000 and 70,000 Americans living in the UAE. Exact figures are hard to come by, as Americans are not obligated to register with the American diplomatic missions in the emirates.
The obvious talking point in the community for the past several weeks and months has been the election around the corner. Through Overseas UAE and Democrats Abroad's UAE branch, both Republican and Democrat parties are represented in the American community. Representatives of both those parties have noted unprecedented interest in the upcoming elections.
Chairman of Republicans Overseas UAE, Dr Steven Anderson said he's never seen anything like this in the decades he has spent living abroad. "I have been following every election actively since 1972, and this has to be the most participatory and vocal that I can remember," he said. "Republicans have come out of every corner for this election."
Anderson's comments are echoed by Tony Graham, media spokesman for Democrats Abroad, which has more than doubled in size this year. "Interest in this year's election is larger than anything I've seen in my 23 years overseas," he said. "We're thrilled with the response to our get-out-the-vote efforts, not just by Democrats but by Independents as well."
Supporters of both parties believe that their preferred candidate will benefit them as expats in the long run. Joshua Atkinson, the Dubai director for Overseas Republicans, said that in his view, "a Trump win would mean that the US government will become more trustworthy, transparent and bold."
Additionally, a Trump victory would almost certainly mean the repeal of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act that compels US expats to report their worldwide income and foreign bank accounts to pay taxes in America. "The repeal of FATCA will eliminate its unnecessary and unfair burden on American expats and the global banking system," he said.
Democrats believe a Clinton victory would help cement America's relations with their allies.
Graham said, "A Clinton win means continuity in our foreign policy and a reinforcement of America's commitment to our friends and allies around the world. This is absolutely good news for Americans living overseas."
Despite the vitriol and divisiveness of this electoral cycle, Americans abroad say that there is no animosity between supporters of the various parties.
"Passions run high, but cool heads prevail when it comes down to it," Anderson said. "We are all Americans at the end of the day, and when this election is over, it will be back to business again in a unified manner."
Graham believes that "the values and ideas that unite us are far more important than our political disagreements." "This election has been nastier than in past years, but I do think Americans overseas are ready to embrace the winner and move forward."
- bernd@khaleejtimes.com
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