Bob Vallier, a Paris resident who has mostly lived outside the United States for the past 30 years, has already voted in his home state of Michigan for the Nov. 5 election.

¡°I know that whatever happens in America affects the rest of the world. I know this because I¡¯ve lived in the rest of the world,¡± said Vallier, the LGBTQ+ caucus chair for Democrats Abroad.

Vallier¡¯s vote, and the ballots of other Americans overseas, may be crucial in the tight races of battleground states like his. Michigan is one of the election¡¯s most competitive states, with latest polls showing Democratic candidate Kamala Harris holding a slight edge over Republican rival Donald Trump.