Prague expats can vote in the Democrats Abroad primary, Sanders widely expected to win

American citizens living in the Czech Republic can vote in the Global Democrats Abroad Primary, which will send pledged delegates to the Democratic Convention in Milwaukee in July.

In Prague, people can fill out ballots at the Globe Bookstore and Café, which is the official Voting Center. Same-day registration is possible. The big primary event at the Globe is on March 7 at 11 am to 8 pm.

Voting runs until March 10. For people who can’t make it in person, there are ballots that can be downloaded and then emailed, faxed, or mailed. The email or fax must be received by midnight Pacific Time on March 10, and if sent by mail received by March 11.

Informal polling from Prague of those who have voted and intend to vote shows Bernie Sanders with a strong lead over Elizabeth Warren, with Joe Biden trailing and virtually no support for other candidates. In 2016, the Democrats Abroad Global Presidential Primary, counting all 170 participating countries, saw Sanders get 69% of the vote and Hillary Clinton 31%. In the Czech Republic, Sanders got 402 votes and Clinton 99 votes — or 80% to 20%.

There are several requirements to be able to vote. You must reside abroad and be a US citizen, be a member of Democrats Abroad, be 18 years old as of November 3, 2020, and not have voted, or plan to vote, in any other 2020 state presidential primary.

This last two parts are important. You can vote in the primary if you are 17 years old, provided you will be 18 as of November 3. You can also register to vote in the general election if you are 17, but will be 18 by election day.

You cannot vote both in the primary or caucus in your own state and also vote in the Democrats Abroad primary for the presidential nomination. You must choose only one. You can, however, vote in your own state for other “down ballot” races such as the House or Senate, but leave the box for presidential nomination blank.

“Voting in-person in the primary is exciting for lots of our members. For many of them, it’s the one chance they’ll have to vote in-person during this critical election year,” Julia Bryan, chairwoman of Democrats Abroad, said. “Remote voting helps our voters who can’t reach our voting stations, and ensures that every Democrat living outside the US has the same chance to participate, regardless of where they live.”

For the general election, you must register in your home state and request an absentee ballot. There is no Democrats Abroad vote for the general election. Members of Democrats Abroad can help you find out about registration and voting for your state. Even if you voted in 2016, you should check your registration and request a ballot.

Democrats Abroad is the official organization of the Democratic Party for United States citizens living permanently or temporarily abroad. The organization is given state-level recognition by the Democratic National Committee, with eight positions on the Democratic National Committee.