US Elections: We meet the expat voters in Belgium

Alison Woodward
A Belgian resident since 1985 and in Europe since 1971, Alison hails from New York and Ohio. She has family in Florida and New Jersey

"I am a senior associate fellow at the Institute of European Studies where I do political and sociological research on gender and diversity in the European Union. I voted by postal ballot. I have been following this election very closely, and I hope we will know the answer pretty early in the night, but given how politics is going these days and the media influence, it sometimes feels hard to call.

"As an American, of course I believe this election to be a major event in world politics. The candidates are extreme opposites, and one of the candidates is among the least qualified of the last century. Yet, the office of the president today demands the most qualified. A lot is at stake both domestically and globally in terms of the direction the United States will take.

"This election has received far more coverage internationally than any in my lifetime. It is of course historic, given the first female major party candidate. However, the media operate differently than 20 years ago and a lot of elements of this election have been mediatized, and spotlighted in ways that seem anti-political. Personally I believe that the phenomenon of Trump got much more coverage than seems rationally merited.

"Obama is one of the great orators in the presidential office and exuding integrity besides showing all that a black person can hold the highest office in the land. He did not solve the Middle East, but did pull the US out of a major economic recession. The affordable health care act was a landmark achievement, and with some adjustment will serve American families well for life. We can always wish for more, but understanding the tricky checks and balances of the American system, I think that Obama often managed to do ‘the right thing’."

Anthony Calderon
The 24-year-old, born and raised in New York, has been in Belgium for two months, studying for a master’s in urban design at the VUB and ULB in Brussels

“I voted via absentee ballot. The process for New York State is not the most convenient and requires some paperwork, but I think it’s very important that the American people make an effort to vote. I usually follow politics quite closely, but this election cycle has dragged on and been kind of dull, so I won’t be staying up for the results. It has a global impact and I hope we don’t let everyone down. Of course, New York won’t, but New York could also be an entirely different country!

"The media does its job but often it’s just clickbait, titles that grab your attention but aren’t the most informative or useful to any productive discourse. Locally and internationally, there is a bit too much focus on the election, while I think there are larger problems that America faces. I think if the election cycle were shorter the media effect wouldn’t be so large. My first time voting was in 2012 for Obama and I couldn’t have been more excited to follow his campaign and to submit my vote.

"I loved voting for Obama, reveled in his message of hope in 2008, and welcomed the change from the Bush administration, but I still have some problems with the current administration. For example, more undocumented immigrants have been deported than in any other administration, and the Obama administration’s foreign policy—namely warmongering and the selling of weapons to groups in the Middle East—are both policies that I entirely disagree with. Although I’m not so sure that even he could explain why he won the Nobel Peace Prize, I approve of Obama’s domestic policy and the nation he built over his two terms."

Felicia Benefield
The business communications professional is from San Francisco and has lived in Belgium for eight years

“I voted by fax using a postal ballot. I probably won’t stay up for the results, I’ll just get them later. While the US elections are watched by the world, and their results are felt globally, I don’t think that the election itself is as important in the rest of the world. In that regard, it’s just interesting in the ‘which team is gonna win’ sense. It’s the cabinet and the policies they pursue that have wider-reaching impact.

"I don’t think the election has been covered in a truly balanced way, but then I don’t think the candidates are balanced. One is quite qualified and the other is quite crazy. It’s more fun, and gets more ratings, to discuss Donald Trump’s actions or tweets rather than Hillary Clinton giving another capable speech. My mother just had her knee repaired for $275. She calls it her ‘Obama knee’ and thanks him openly for it. I think there are flaws, but the US has been better off with him as president these last eight years than it would have been without him."

Tom Beardslee
The musician and music teacher from Columbus, Ohio, has been living in Brussels for five years

“I voted by postal ballot and oh heck, yes, I’ll be staying up for the results. The Ohio Senate race isn’t looking great for my dude so I haven’t been following it terribly closely, but I’ve been following the presidential race as much as my stomach can stand it. The presidential election is always important, but this one more than most. It’s a choice between someone who will keep the (admittedly deeply flawed) status quo versus someone who has proposed a pretty brutal shake-up and abandonment of the geopolitical alliances that have kept us alive for decades. Some might not much like Clinton, but we’re all fans of not glowing in the dark… As for media coverage of the election, I think it’s not bad. I share their horrified fascination.

"I think Obama will be remembered in a complicated fashion. In his personal aura, he brought a certain dignity back to the office that had been lost with George W Bush’s buffoonery. In domestic policy, on the one hand, Obamacare will be remembered as a valiant attempt to save the sinking ship of US healthcare, but on the other hand, it’s a duct-taped mess that was all he could get past the dysfunctional Congress. He proposed an immigration policy with a pathway to citizenship, but he deported a bunch of folks at the same time. The US drug war finally started its first de-escalations during his administration. Internationally, he handled matters publicly with diplomacy and tact, but on the other hand, under his watch the US war machine made the (probably inevitable) move towards drones. Overall, though, he left things way better than he found them, and he will be missed."

Monica Cisneros
The food and travel writer is from San Antonio, Texas. She has been living in Belgium for seven months and is about to join a digital media start-up in Ghent

"I sent off my absentee ballot  three weeks ago. In general, I follow all politics closely because I like to stay informed about things in the US and internationally as well. I’m a news junkie and find it all very fascinating. However, like many Americans this election cycle, I’m disillusioned with both candidates and am not truly excited either way. There’s been an overload of coverage leading up to the big day but I’ll definitely be checking the news as it unfolds."