Voting in US midterms and New York’s ‘Little Spain’

This month we’re covering the evolving relationship between Spain and the United States. From the inauguration of “Little Spain” in New York and the dedicated “American footprint” in Madrid, to the ongoing tension between Prime Minister Sánchez and Donald Trump, and to making your vote count in the US midterms.

I’m writing to you from Barcelona in the midst of the demonstrations that led Prime Minister Sánchez to call for snap elections. Check in on our ongoing coverage. That vote will come less than a month after the US midterms. With a growing American population living in Spain, I checked in with compatriots from both parties to better understand how they feel about voting from overseas.

A few things have changed since I covered the election in 2024. Namely, midterm elections include federal, state, and local races, and the rules for overseas voting can differ by state. Every state must allow eligible overseas voters to receive their ballot electronically, but they differ in how it can be returned. Some allow email, fax, or an online portal; others require the completed ballot to be returned by mail.

The first thing I noticed is that there is still hesitancy and confusion about votes being registered and counted properly. The most helpful resources I’ve found are the Federal Voting Assistance Program and the Overseas Vote Foundation. Both give you a step-by-step guide to voting from overseas. 

You also have groups supporting both Democrats Abroad and Republicans Overseas. For Americans who still want to be active in politics back home, each group is a great way to stay involved and to find like-minded people. During a time of such polarized politics, moving abroad could be an opportunity to step outside your political bubble.

Democrats Abroad is known to be both politically and socially motivated, while Republicans Overseas is more heavily focused on rallying the vote.

According to a research article in Sage Journal, as more Americans move to Spain, they’re increasingly attracting attention from political groups that want to organize them around party politics. The study found that Republicans Overseas’ activities in Spain and Portugal have an “eminently political” profile, particularly around encouraging voter registration and voting, while Democrats Abroad also organizes social and cultural activities. It also found that the number of registered Americans in Spain rose from 36,544 in 2020 to 50,623 in 2024. At a time when many Americans say they’ve moved precisely because of politics, the upcoming midterm election becomes even more charged.

Online groups for Americans in Spain are already overflowing with voting concerns and personal attacks based on party affiliation. As politics heat up in Spain, the two camps seem ready to boil over with emotion as they choose sides. On one hand, Americans speak of Spanish compatriots who support Trump and his party because they are tired of “Dictator Sanchez.” On the other, they push support for a Democrat takeover and discuss the sympathy Spanish neighbours give them for “Dictator Trump.”

READ ALSO: Trump and far right seize on Spanish migration crisis

American voters, especially those living in “critical states”, are reminded that they must register now, even if they previously registered. Vote From Abroad is another great website to make the process easier. Whatever your party, it’s clear that partisan politics is escalating on both sides of the Atlantic.

Both elections (US midterms and Spain’s snap election) are taking place against the backdrop of increasing tensions and economic ties between the two countries. After Trump’s 40-minute speech at the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Sánchez remarked critically during his guest appearance on John Stewart’s Weekly Show podcast. “It was, as usual, a very ideological speech,” Sánchez told Jon Stewart. While the PM’s words were more measured than previous remarks about the US president, Stewart loudly read between the lines. “That is a very tactful way of putting it, sir,” he said. “We have difficulty dealing with his inability to speak in facts.”

The political relationship between the two leaders may be fraught, but the US business sector seems undecided. US companies invested €2.9 billion in Spain in the first six months of 2026, 84 percent more than during the same period last year, making the US Spain’s biggest foreign investor. At the same time, US businesses have been selling or closing their investments in Spain, and overall foreign divestments from Spain have surged. So, what are we looking at? US investment is both leaving and arriving in Spain in significant amounts.

Meanwhile, the two countries seem to be celebrating their shared history — or at least their major cities are. The Madrid City Council and the US Embassy launched a route through 12 emblematic Madrid locations to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence. It connects “hidden corners, institutions, and secrets of the capital that speak to the long historical relationship between Spain and the US.” Stops include Museo Chicote, the legendary Madrid nightclub of Ava Gardner; Sobrino de Botín restaurant, the oldest in the world, frequented by Ernest Hemingway; and the famous Juan de la Cosa Map at the Naval Museum, the first world map in history to include the American continent, among others.

Meanwhile, New York has inaugurated the intersection of West 14th Street and Eighth Avenue, which has now been named “Little Spain/La Nacional Way”.

The new sign was installed during Hispanic Heritage Month, and honours the 30,000 Spaniards who emigrated to the Big Apple over the course of 150 years.

Many of them first stayed at the Spanish Benevolent Society, known as La Nacional, which gave them bed and board while helping them find work.

El callejero de #NuevaYork ya tiene su #LittleSpain. Vía @sextaNoticias @lanacionalny https://t.co/LqgYJ4M83P

— DiegoSánchezMartínez (@DiegoSanchezMtz) October 11, 2026

More and more, it appears the two cultures are embracing each other more tightly as their political figures move further apart. As Spain’s snap election nears, Sánchez is increasingly referred to as the last standing pillar on the left in Europe and is frequently applauded as the only leader standing up to Trump. Of course, it’s more complex than these issues, but headlines continue to divide the two political factions.

READ ALSO: Why has Spain’s PM called a snap election?

As elections near in each country, we’ll be closely watching the impact on Americans who’ve made Spain their new home. And, before daily life gets lost amidst the weight of politics, I’ll leave you with this edition’s monthly oops.

In honour of Madrid and New York recognizing our shared history, this oops is about travel between Spain and the US, and hopefully will help many avoid disaster. When you travel back to the US from Europe, you’ll have to go through customs wherever you land. That means passport control, collecting your bag, and getting back in line for security. If you’re going home for the holidays and catching a connecting flight in the US, choose a long connection — at least three hours. Last night I flew home, I forgot about the security line, and had to plead with angry New Yorkers at Newark to move quickly through the line. Had it not been for a security guard who pitied me, I would have lost my flight home and had to buy a new one at holiday prices.