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.