Americans in Catalonia celebrate midterms after months work registering people to vote from abroad

After helping thousands of Americans living in Catalonia register to vote this year, dozens gathered on Wednesday morning, the morning after the US midterm elections, to celebrate.

"We weren't just sitting around waiting for the results," said Lisa Berger, chair of non-partisan group Vote From Abroad Spain, who has lived in Barcelona for 40 years and votes in Maryland. "We've been actively going out and reminding people to go vote from abroad."

Berger did not have exact figures but said volunteers have been registering expats since January. The group held in-person events all year so voters would not discover problems after returning home. 

"Everyone has to register to vote each new year," Berger said. "We've been trying to get people to register with plenty of time to vote in their primaries, but a lot of people don't wake up until the last minute."

The biggest gap, Berger said, is among students who arrive for a semester without realizing they are eligible.

"They have no idea how to actually vote or that they're eligible to vote," she said of the study abroad students. 

"The vote from abroad can be the decisive vote," Berger said. "When I register somebody who's voting in Texas, I get very excited, or North Carolina. It really makes a difference."

Democrats Abroad gather to celebrate

The work was the reason for Wednesday's gathering at La Fuga, a cafe in Barcelona where the group Democrats Abroad invited Americans to watch election coverage over coffee and brunch. The group had billed the event as a chance to celebrate months of voter turnout work and to connect with fellow Americans.

Robert Gerard, press coordinator for Democrats Abroad Barcelona, said it was the, "biggest brunch event for obvious reasons." Gerard said the group holds a brunch and happy hour every month to help connect Americans abroad. He said at nearly every event this year, the organization successfully registered a new voter.

He said the group has held dozens of registration events in Barcelona and elsewhere in Catalonia. 

"We also did a phone banking campaign for all of our members throughout the world," Gerard said. "They called a significant number of people just to make sure that they're registered to vote and need any help with the process."

At the brunch, Berger said she was "ecstatic," even though "not all the results are in or final." 

"That's really rewarding to see all that hard work paying off," she said.

Gerard, who is from the Bronx in New York, moved to Barcelona with his wife almost five years ago for her job. He said he began predicting a "Blue Tsunami" a year ago after seeing turnout at the group's protests.

"I've been calling for this," Gerard said. "The people here were hungry, ready to work, put in the time, we did, and the success speaks for itself."

Lucas Avram Cavazos, who was born in Texas, said he was so moved by the results that he canceled a morning business meeting to come to the brunch.

"I just get a lot of gratitude," Cavazos ecstatically told Catalan news. "I'm not going to sing Lee Greenwood, but I am proud to be an American right now."

Gerard urged Americans abroad to visit votefromabroad.org and to volunteer, vote and encourage others to do the same. Berger, too, said voting should not be a heavy burden.

"If we don't stand up for democracy, we'll lose it," she said. "You've got to go out and vote. It's not that much to ask."