This morning I was sent an email (well, me in copy/list) that included a link to the US government information about Americans abroad and their voting. It seems that very few of the 4.4 million (2.8 million can vote) actually vote. In 2022, only 3.4% of those American voted. Mind you, that was a mid-term, and voter turnout in mid-term elections is always low. These are some pretty stark numbers, but do not explore why these Americans do not vote.
(But here is a reminder: if you are an American citizen living outside the US, you can vote. Go to votefromabroad.org for more info and to register to vote).
But this misses something much more important: Why do so many Americans live outside the US, and why do they choose to leave the US? There are so many reasons, and each will contribute to an American’s desire to vote, and the level of effort they are willing to put into voting. Many either have no desire to vote, little confidence that their vote matters, or insufficient time to follow local US idiosyncrasies associated with voting in any particular state. Many do not know they can vote.
How do I know this? I’ve lived most of my life outside the US of America. I was born outside the US (a “Natural Born US Citizen” according to the government, but strangely not according to the Social Security Administration, who apparently have me recorded as a non-citizen). I’ve spent about 15 – 16 years in the United States. The people I describe in the categories below are the people around me, the people I’ve met and known, and are me. Until 2020, I did not know that I could vote from abroad, nor did I have any desire to vote from abroad when living outside the US.
So, what are some of the reasons Americans live overseas or leave the US?
- Work
- Military service
- Retirement/cost of living
- Family and history
- Adventure
- They just want to be somewhere else
Let's look at these.
1. Work
There are so many reasons people leave the US for work. They may be employed by the US government in consulates, embassies, or other government work, taking them outside the US. They may be experts desired by foreign companies – the large number of Americans who historically worked for Aramco in Saudi Arabia, for example. They might not be global experts, but they have experience not otherwise readily available in local or other catchment markets. Businessmen (and women) working for multinational corporations, providing US management insights and control with head office confidence that American company interests will be protected.
How many will return to the US? Most. But many will become familiar with and enjoy the “expat” lifestyle and will eventually permanently leave the US. At a guess, 70% or more will enjoy their time working outside the US but will look forward to returning and living out their lives in the US, with occasional visits away.
2. Military service
Huge numbers of Americans serving in the military are stationed outside the US. Is this by choice? Not really. They have been assigned and are servicing a period away from the US. Most will return to the United States within a year or two. Some, a few, return to countries where they served and will stay on.
3. Retirement/cost of living
Retirement is not cheap, and Social Security is not overly generous. Likewise, while the 401k retirement savings schemes are available and used by many American workers, the vast majority do not have significant assets to access on retirement. Many of those moving out of the US are looking for countries with lower cost-of-living, usually closer to the US and in countries with a recognisable culture (Hispanic mainly) They have moved to “be American” somewhere else. Cultural assimilation is not on the cards, other than enjoying the quaint local customs and festivals while perpetuating their American Ghettos.
Some bring their politics with them, many leave it behind. When the #TRE45ON was elected in 2016, a MAGA said to us at Friday night drinks, "NOW he'll make America Great". In front of everyone, I looked him in the eyes and said, "Okay, good, now why don't you f***-off back there and enjoy some of that greatness". He never mentioned the Great Pussy Grabber again around any of us.
4. Family and history
Now we come to an interesting group. Grandfather (and/or Grandmother) or Father/Mother “came to this country” so many decades ago. And for all their life they dreamed of and talked about the home country. The entre premise of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding III” is about the “return” to the village, taking the memories home again, finding the roots, and regeneration of the homeland through the connecting spirits of the dead and the living. Schmaltz, but effective and a real reflection of what I’ve seen in the (Nationality)-American. Greek-American, Irish-American, Italian-American. And so it goes on. This is not limited to ()-American. I’ve seen it in the ()-Australians as well.
That feeling of belonging to something greater than “just” American. And that shouldn’t be a surprise, as (portions of) America proudly endorse the immigrant and assimilationist nature of the United States.
Yet so many do want, in their older years, to return to the homeland, to sit in the cafes on the square under the trees that they remember. To remember what and where they came from, first generation Americans returning to what they knew, and what they left. And soon enough, their children are “coming home”, some to visit, some to live and raise families of their own. “American” families with little understanding of America beyond Hollywood.
Most of these "returnees" are highly conservative or libertarian, and they keep in their closed groups, ignoring other Americans. Their conservativism comes from an attitude of "I went ot America with $5 in my pocket. I didn't get any help from anyone. I worked by fingers off. I earned it. All those others just want to live off my hard work. Let them go and work for it". I've heard people say this. And it is difficult to object. They did work very hard. If only that was the entire story.
5. Adventure
And then you get the adventurers. A summer away turns into a life away. Admittedly, these are only a small fraction of the Americans who live overseas. But they are there. And most are never “coming home”. They travel, fall in love (with the place or with someone) and find that the years have gone by with no need or desire to return to the US.
6. They just want to be somewhere else
Finally, there are those who decided, for whatever reason, that they would not live in the US. Ever. They have so many reasons. “If X is elected, I’m leaving the country” is one group, but I honestly expect this is a very small part of this group. Most of this category of people did not leave from, but went to. They did not move somewhere to become part of the X-American Friendship Society. They moved there to become part of or to become X, or to not be American only.
I know this.
But also, I do not believe that these are the majority of Americans living outside the US.
Who are these? Many are the classic “third culture kids". People raised outside their home country, attending international schools, with home culture and language at home. These people learned about “America” as a concept yet were exposed to a plethora of other cultures and values. Returning to America as a young adult exposes them to isolation and a lack of understanding by their peers of cultures and values other than the colloquial of their new homes. Many of these people choose to leave America, looking for the multi-cultural communities that they grew up in.
How many of these will vote? How many even want to vote? How to convince them that they should vote? It will be a personal decision for each person. And in an era of increasing surveillance of all people, it is not unreasonable for people to be making a decision based on their concerns about their vote even being counted, or it not counting against them.
But again, if you are a US citizen, you are entitled to vote, so go to votefromabroad.org.
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