The UK is home to the second-largest population of voting-age US citizens outside the United States, with an estimated 298,268 in 2022, according to the US government's Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP). However, participation in US elections by these citizens remains low.
FVAP data indicates that only 3.8% of US citizens in the UK voted in the 2022 midterm elections. US federal law, specifically the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, protects the rights of overseas voters, requiring states to allow eligible citizens to register and vote absentee.
Concerns about tax implications may contribute to the low turnout, but voting for federal candidates does not expose US overseas voters to federal tax obligations. US citizenship itself, not voting, is what creates the tax relationship.
The US Supreme Court recently rejected efforts by the Trump administration to limit mail-in voting, including for overseas Americans. Additionally, legislative attempts to pass voter-ID requirements, such as Donald Trump's Save America Act, did not pass the Senate.