Democrats in Edmonton use 4th of July to try to register voters ahead of U.S. midterm elections

While millions of Americans spent this 4th of July celebrating Independence Day in the U.S., some American Democrats living in Alberta’s capital used the occasion to also try to register American ex-pats to ensure they’re eligible to vote in the U.S.’ looming midterm elections.

“We want as many people that can be registered to vote, to vote for the midterms,” Kimberly Johnson, a member of Democrats Abroad’s Edmonton chapter, said at an Independence Day picnic she helped organize at Hawrelak Park on Wednesday.

“We help people register to get their absentee ballots. We can help people of any political affiliation register to vote.

“You make change through the ballot box and we think that’s super important, especially in a year like 2018.”

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Most of the U.S. midterm elections will take place in November and voters will cast ballots for all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives, the full terms for dozens of seats in the United States Senate while many states will see voters elect governors to full terms.

LISTEN BELOW: Diana Keto-Lambert with Democrats Abroad speaks with 630 CHED’s Ryan Jespersen 

The U.S. midterms come at a particularly divisive time in recent U.S. political history, with President Donald Trump, a Republican, being regularly attacked by Democrats for contentious policies, including on immigration, trade, taxation and how to deal with Iran and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

READ MORE: U.S. midterm elections a chance for Democrats to impress ahead of 2020 presidential election

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Johnson said her family in California is made up of both supporters and opponents of Trump, which she said “makes holidays interesting.”

“Life as an American living in Canada is a bit strange right now,” she said.

“It’s strange to turn on the news and to not really recognize the values you were raised with and the country you were raised in.”

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Johnson, who has lived in Canada for about 20 years, said even if they don’t vote for the Democrats, she still hopes to educate American Edmontonians about their options.

“A lot of people don’t realize that even if they lived in the United States when they were two, they’re still eligible to vote,” she said. “They can still register to vote as an absentee ballot.”

Johnson said when it comes to the Democrats’ prospects at the ballot box in 2018, she remains “cautiously optimistic for the midterms.”

“There are a lot of rallies and protests that are bringing focus to a lot of really important issues that need to be addressed,” she said. “But I think that the election taught us to not be overly confident.”

READ MORE: Republicans’ U.S. midterm election strategy to involve a heavy dose of Hillary Clinton

Johnson admitted she was surprised when Trump won the U.S. presidential election in 2016.