US midterms
US Democrats court expatriate voters on Swiss public transport
US Democrats Abroad has launched a voter-registration campaign on trams, buses and posters in Basel, Geneva and Zurich ahead of November’s US midterm elections. The campaign is aimed at the tens of thousands of eligible US voters living in Switzerland and illustrates how American politics is reaching expatriate communities here.
A question aimed at American passengers now rides through Basel and Geneva: “Are you a US citizen?” Leaflets on trams and buses, alongside posters in Zurich, direct expatriate voters to non-partisan registration websites ahead of the November 2026 US midterm elections.
Democrats Abroad Switzerland is behind the campaign. QR codes on the adverts provide information about registration and absentee voting in each voter’s home state, while the organisation seeks to increase Democratic turnout among Americans living in Switzerland. The campaign gives a visible Swiss setting to an election that will determine the balance of power in the US Congress.
The potential electorate is substantial by expatriate standards. US federal figures counted nearly 32,000 eligible US voters living in Switzerland during the 2024 presidential election. About half were dual Swiss-American citizens, linking American political decisions to households and communities established in Switzerland.
The adverts appear in the country’s main centres of American life. Basel’s pharmaceutical sector attracts workers from the United States, while Geneva and Zurich host international organisations, companies and professional networks with strong US ties. For commuters, the campaign is part of the daily journey to work, not a message confined to an American association meeting.
Turn transit adverts into ballots
The campaign’s target is a dispersed electorate with complicated voting logistics. Americans abroad must generally register under the rules of their US state, request the relevant ballot and return it within deadlines that vary across the country. Democrats Abroad says its QR codes lead voters to neutral information rather than directly to a party ballot.
Liz Voss, president of the organisation’s Basel chapter, said Democrats Abroad has several thousand members in Switzerland, although she did not give an exact figure. The group has also sent postcards to members as part of the current drive.
The organisation used public transport advertising during the 2022 midterms, when pandemic restrictions made large gatherings difficult. Voss said the format offered an effective way to use limited funds. Seasonal discounts from transport operators helped make the 2026 tram campaign possible.
The effort is expected to cost a low five-figure sum. Democrats Abroad relies on donations and does not charge membership fees. New data protection rules have also shaped the strategy: paid political advertising on social media is no longer available, pushing the organisation toward physical posters, vehicles and direct mail.
That choice places the responsibility for voter action in highly visible public spaces. A passenger can scan a code between stops, then complete the process from home.