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Democrats in Switzerland back Bernie Sanders

Democrats abroad, including those in Switzerland, have voted for Bernie Sanders as their candidate in the US presidential election. The senator from Vermont received 57.87% of the total vote, compared with 22.66% for former vice-president Joe Biden. 

Sanders thus obtains nine delegates for the Democrat convention set to be held in Milwaukee in mid-July, against four for Biden, the Democrats Abroad Switzerland said on their website. 

No other candidate broke the 15% delegate threshold. Elizabeth Warren in third received 14.33% of the vote. 

The Democrats of Switzerland voted the same way. Sanders received 448 of the 967 votes cast (46.33%), well ahead of Biden (299 votes, 30.92%) and Warren (157 votes, 16.24%). 

Voting took place on March 3-10 in Geneva, Zurich and Basel, as well as online. Democrats Abroad Switzerland had decided to keep polling stations open despite Covid-19. In Geneva, a disinfectant gel was placed on a table but most people present were shaking hands, according to a Keystone-SDA journalist. 

In total, nearly 40,000 Democrats abroad participated in the primary, 15% more than four years ago. In 2016, Democrats abroad preferred Bernie Sanders to Hillary Clinton. 

Overall, Biden holds a strong lead over Sanders, his lone remaining rival for the party’s nomination to face Republican President Donald Trump in November’s election.







Keystone-SDA/ts