How Missouri's 'Bosnian vote' could cost Donald Trump – and turn the state blue
Observers say election antics have pushed many of the estimated 50,000-70,000 Bosnian Muslims in what is historically a swing state to register to vote
Mirhada Jasarevic was a child when she and her family became refugees during the war in Bosnia in the 1990s. She became a naturalized US citizen earlier this year, in time for her to vote in the 2016 presidential election.
“I think this is probably one of the most important elections to be a part of,” Jasarevic said. “I came here just like those Syrian refugees are coming here. The same way. With no intention of hurting anybody. Just to get a chance at life. And that’s what makes America so great, and I feel like Donald Trump doesn’t understand that.”
Bosnian Americans in Missouri are expected to turn out in record numbers this November. With recent polls showing that Hillary Clinton and Trump are virtually tied in Missouri, it could be a voting bloc that swings the election.
While never a monolith, Bosnian Americans in St Louis – which is home to an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 Bosnian Muslims – have near-universally been put off by Trump’s anti-Muslim, anti-refugee rhetoric and are wary of the Republican candidate’s popularity among Serbian nationalists. If they are mobilized as a bloc to vote against Trump for these reasons, 2016 could mark the national debut of Missouri’s “Bosnian vote”, costing Trump the state’s 10 electoral votes.
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