‘Not been this excited in a long time’: US expats ride the blue wave at Australian midterms watch parties

US voters, their Australian partners and British spectators crowd around pub TVs to watch the historic election results roll in

On the second floor of a Sydney pub, the mood shifts from nervous, browser-refreshing anxiety to champagne-popping within a matter of hours.

More than 100 US expats and election enthusiasts pack into the function space at the Keg and Brew in the inner-east suburb of Surry Hills to watch the midterm results roll in.

They’ve followed a sign reading “Democrats Abroad” guiding them upstairs on Wednesday lunch time when live reports began broadcasting on the pub television screens.

Early on, American voters, their Australian partners and British spectators said they were “cautiously optimistic”.