Between 25,000 and 35,000 people in Ireland are eligible to vote in the US presidential election, including an 83-year-old nun in Limerick.
Patti Shields, chair of Democrats Abroad Ireland, said there has been a 650 per cent increase in requests about registering to vote since Kamala Harris replaced US president Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee.
There were 25,000 people in Ireland eligible to vote in the US midterms in 2022, and Ms Shields said her group now estimates that figure to be between 25,000 and 35,000.
Ms Shields told BreakingNews.ie: "We had a look at the updated Census numbers, and it's somewhere between 25,000 and 35,000. We're thinking it's bigger than it was in 2022, with more students coming over, more people moving and staying here.
"You can register and request your ballot as a voter from abroad in all 50 states.
"We recommend people go to votefromabroad.org to do that, and your voter registration and your ballot request are all done in one action."
She explained that ballots from all 50 states will be sent out electronically on September 21st (unless people have specified they want them in the post).
Ms Shields said the uptick in interest since Ms Harris became the nominee has been "explosive" with many eligible voters registering to vote from abroad for the first time.
"Our weekly average of voter registration since her announcement is up over 650 per cent," she said.
I got a call yesterday about an 83-year-old nun in Limerick in a nursing home.
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Ms Shields said the first-time voters include a man who has lived in Ireland for 30 years, and an 83-year-old nun in Limerick.
"I spoke to a gentleman on Monday who has lived in Ireland for 30 years. He has US citizenship and has never voted before. He's worried about the world and wants to vote now, so we're helping him with his ballot request.
"I got a call yesterday about an 83-year-old nun in Limerick in a nursing home. She had someone from the parish call me, and we're going to get someone down there to help her register to vote... I think for Massachusetts. Every vote is vital.
"It's becoming infectious, the person you help then passes my name and number along and is encouraging others to vote."
To coincide with the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, between Georgia Tech and Florida State at the Aviva Stadium, Democrats Abroad Ireland are holding their first in-person event on Saturday.
'Tailgate Kickoff'
The 'Tailgage Kickoff' event at KC Peaches, Nassau Street (across from Trinity College) will take place from 10am to 1pm today.
"We felt like it would be great with the football game on in Dublin. We had a voter registration event last year on the Saturday of the Navy - Notre Dame game, and we got a lot of attendance and buzz out of it.
"It's very exciting, people want T-shirts, bumper stickers, signs for their windows, it's all very exciting because it helps raise awareness of people's ability to participate and vote from abroad."
While the group supports the Democratic Party, Ms Shields said she does not ask people what way they intend to vote when they ask for help with registration. Votefromabroad.org, which the group helps people use, is a non-partisan website.
In September, Democrats Abroad Ireland will host voter registration events in Cork, Galway and Mayo, with other events still to be announced.
Ms Shields said the aim is to help people who may not be in a position to travel to Dublin.
"We're going to be travelling around Ireland doing voter registration events in September. Ballots need to be mailed back by the beginning of October to make sure they're all in on time.
"For us, there will be a big push in September. There are tonnes of US students arriving in the next few weeks to study."
Ms Shields thinks Americans abroad are more likely to vote Democrat because "they have a larger world view".
"I think there's a greater sense of the world order when you live abroad. I think more people living abroad are Democrats, and I think statistically that has been validated."
Project 2025
On the issues that will be big factors in the November election, Ms Shields highlighted protection of women's healthcare, inflation, gun control, and the infamous Project 2025.
While Donald Trump has looked to distance himself from the plan, it is widely acknowledged that people who worked with Mr Trump and are likely to be involved in any future administration were crucial in the drafting of the 900-page document; which includes policies such as a nationwide abortion ban and plans to deport millions of people.
"The Democratic convention was almost like a party every night. I think it's been very intentional but effective. The central word seems to be the word joy, rather than fear.
"The conventions were so different, the tone of the Republican one was very fear-based, Trump-focused. They were coming off the assassination attempt. It was a very dark picture of America. They were trying to scare people. The message about 'crazy people' coming over the border. It was all very negative.
"They are calling out some of these things like Project 2025. They also played footage from January 6th. When you see that evidence of how awful that day was, you are empowered to get up and make sure it never happens again. I think that's a lot of the energy around moving forward, making sure we never go back to that.
"The overall message has been positive, with a warning. As Hillary Clinton reminded us, we can't assume anything.
"Women will be a huge factor. One of the statistics that continues to be a focus is that 49 per cent of white women voted for Donald Trump in 2020. That is a remarkable statistic.
"The continued focus on the freedom to choose, even going beyond the abortion issue, access to contraception, infertility treatments.
"I think women will be huge, and the youth will be huge."
She added: "It's an incredible privilege we can vote from abroad. Look at the number of people here who flew back for the abortion and same-sex marriage referendums here. For us, it's not even the price of a plane ticke... it's just a small bit of time."
For Ms Shields, the work does not stop after September, she will fly back to the States to work with the campaign for the second half of October.
Her home state of North Carolina is a battleground state. She worked with the Democratic campaign for Barack Obama in 2008, when he won the state, and 2012, when North Carolina voted Republican.
"It has been red every year since. However, it's in play again now, and I'm excited about that. I'll be home in Ireland for election day."
