U.S. expats in Mexico cast votes for Democratic candidate as Trump threat looms large

Record ID: 112291

  • Title: U.S. expats in Mexico cast votes for Democratic candidate as Trump threat looms large
  • Date: 1st March 2016
  • Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (MARCH 01, 2016) (REUTERS) DEMOCRAT SUPPORTER REGISTERING TO VOTE FOR CANDIDATE VOTER'S IDENTIFICATION MORE OF VOTER REGISTERING TO VOTE U.S. CITIZENS AT DEMOCRATS' VOTING CENTRE SIGN FOR DEMOCRATS ABROAD GROUP U.S. CITIZENS REGISTERING TO VOTE FOR DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE IN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY VARIOUS OF CITIZEN FILLING OUT VOTER APPLICATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. CITIZEN IN MEXICO, JAMES FREDERICK, SAYING: "Both Democratic candidates are much more accepting of other people and other ideas and that's certainly what I follow in my beliefs. I think that as the speech in the Republican Party continues to fall more and more to just angry and hateful speech I think it is important for people to come out and vote for people who don't support those kinds of ideas and that kind of speech." U.S. CITIZENS AT VOTING CENTRE VARIOUS OF U.S. CITIZEN FILLING OUT VOTER APPLICATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. CITIZEN IN MEXICO, ROBERTO FRAU, SAYING: "Whoever ends up being the Republican candidate will lose by a landslide, and by a landslide I meant not a one or two point margin but a very large margin that will show the Republican Party that they need to re-assess their values and their discourse, especially in terms of inclusion and non-discrimination." U.S. CITIZEN REGISTERING TO VOTE VOTING APPLICATION FORM U.S. CITIZEN REGISTERING TO VOTE U.S. CITIZEN FILLING OUT APPLICATION FORM TO VOTE U.S. CITIZEN HOLDING VOTING PAPERS
  • Embargoed: 16th March 2016 23:25
  • Keywords: American expats United States Mexico vote Democrats candidate election
  • Location: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
  • City: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA001473NZUV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: U.S. expats living in Mexico City turned out to vote for their candidate in the Democratic race for presidential nomination on Super Tuesday (March 01), joining American states in the biggest single election day for party nominees for the November election to succeed President Barack Obama.
    The Democrats Abroad Group organised a voting station in Mexico City's chic Condesa district, a popular barrio of the capital frequented by many American expats.
    They are keen to have their say in a vote that could see former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton go a long way toward cementing her path to nomination if she scores big victories of her own over Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders.
    For the Republicans, opinion polls showed Trump leading in nearly all the states that will hold primary contests or caucuses, many of them in the South.
    Trump has stunned many in the Republican establishment with proposals such as building a wall along the U.S. southern border with Mexico, deporting 11 million illegal immigrants and slapping a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country.
    For many Americans who call Mexico home, the anti-immigration rhetoric that has dominated Republican campaigning has been a major impetus to come out and vote.
    "Both Democratic candidates are much more accepting of other people and other ideas and that's certainly what I follow in my beliefs. I think that as the speech in the Republican Party continues to fall more and more to just angry and hateful speech I think it is important for people to come out and vote for people who don't support those kinds of ideas and that kind of speech," said U.S. citizen James Frederick.
    Trump's successful campaign has confounded many Republican leaders. The New York billionaire cites his high poll numbers as proof he is not dividing the party but expanding its ranks.
    But for many Democrats living in Mexico City, a Trump candidacy would spell bit defeat for the Republicans.
    "Whoever ends up being the Republican candidate will lose by a landslide, and by a landslide I meant not a one or two point margin but a very large margin that will show the Republican Party that they need to re-assess their values and their discourse, especially in terms of inclusion and non-discrimination," said U.S. citizen, Roberto Frau.
    On the Democratic side, polls show Clinton, who has won three of the first four Democratic contests, with a big lead in six Southern states that have large blocs of black voters, who have been slow to warm to Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont.
    Sanders has been aiming for wins in five other states on Tuesday (March 01) - Vermont, neighbouring Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Minnesota and Colorado.
    Republicans living in Mexico also have the opportunity to cast their vote but the party has not set a polling location for their supporters in the Latin American country.
    Although numbers are hard to verify, reports suggest that approximately one million Americans live in Mexico.
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