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I’m 21, voting in my first US midterms, and doing it from nearly 16,000 kilometres away.
Since August, thanks to a 10-week journalism internship with this masthead, I’ve been settled into a different version of the shining city on a hill I’m used to: a high-rise in Melbourne’s CBD. Instead of lining up outside my local church or city hall in Michigan, I’m fulfilling my civic duty through an online ballot.
It was surprisingly simple to receive my ballot by email, and it was ready to fill out less than 10 minutes after I applied. Democracy has never been more accessible, yet Americans aren’t voting. Compulsory voting is something I’d love to stuff in my suitcase and bring home.
Before I came to Australia, I never predicted how many people would ask me about politics the moment they heard my accent, or how embarrassed I’d feel about my country being represented by such a joke. I don’t think many Americans know the extent that other countries see and hear about the United States. I expected Australians would have an understanding of the politics in my country, but I definitely underestimated just how curious, and concerned, they would be.
I first voted in the 2024 presidential election, when my state flipped Republican, making me anxious for the results of this one. Since then, I’ve been paying more attention to Michigan politics than ever. The cost of living and reproductive rights are two of the biggest issues I’ve been considering as a young woman. Although I’m from Michigan, I go to school and live in Chicago, and costs are rising in both states. This is happening across the US, and even here in Australia.
Michigan will also elect a new governor this election cycle, replacing Gretchen Whitmer, a longtime advocate for reproductive rights.
I was in and out of women’s health clinics before I was even a teenager. I suffered with bad acne and was put on birth control to treat it when I was 12. It helped me understand the importance of bodily autonomy and, more importantly, I have always supported choice in healthcare.
Michigan’s constitution now guarantees a fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including abortion, but that isn’t true everywhere. That protection stops at the state line, and the senator getting sent to Washington helps decide what happens beyond it.
Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is leading most polls, with Republican Mike Rogers on his tail just days before the election. After a fresh surge in support for Zohran Mamdani , New York City’s mayor, it’s been refreshing to see progressive politics take over my social media feed.
Catching political social media organically has been harder now that my algorithm knows I’m equally engaged in politics Down Under. What does make its way to me are the viral moments. Most often they are clips from heated debates stirring the pot and candidates challenging hecklers. There’s also the occasional El-Sayed thirst-trap edit on my feed, a delightful new contribution to politics from my generation.
But still, between all the candidates and speeches, I can’t escape the biggest American political figure: President Donald Trump. From what I’ve seen living here, most Australians can’t seem to escape him either.
In one of my first courses at the Australian Catholic University, a student told me her next class was covering fascism. The week-one topic: Is Donald Trump a fascist?
Over lunch, she showed me to the campus conservatory garden, and we had a long conversation about her interest in politics. She’s completing a bachelor’s degree in global studies with an interest in international relations, and said something that really stuck with me: Australian politics may be heading in the same direction as the US.
I’ll admit that learning more about One Nation during my time here has given me a bit of déjà vu. Tightening borders, opposition to vaccine mandates and the rejection of climate change make me feel like I’m not so far from home. Despite this, there is still a long way to go before I see the same hostility here as I do in the States.
I dread the lack of participation from my generation back home. In a time of so much uncertainty and change, the only thing that can bring back hope for the future is societal debate. Read about politics, and know how important your voice is. Along with my vote, that’s all I can do – and hope for in every democracy.
Brielle Kohlbeck is a journalism student at DePaul University, Chicago. She is completing a student internship program at The Age .
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