Americans living in London can still cast their ballots in the US midterm elections, which take place tomorrow, November 2. The UK hosts the third largest population of Americans living outside the US, after Mexico and Canada, with around 61,000 Americans residing in London five years ago.
What are the midterm elections and why do they matter?
The midterm elections are held halfway through a president's four-year term. Although the White House is not on the ballot, the outcome determines which political party controls Congress, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. This will influence the final two years of Donald Trump's presidency and indicate how voters view his performance so far.
If a "blue wave" for the Democrats sweeps the election, as some polls have predicted, it could signal the beginning of the end for the Republicans and Trump. More Democratic seats in the Senate would make it easier to block legislation introduced by the president, and losing a Senate majority would also make it harder for a president to fill open judicial and executive posts.
Who controls Congress at the moment?
Republicans currently hold a majority in both the Senate, with 53 seats, and the House of Representatives, with 218 seats. All 435 members of the House of Representatives are up for election tomorrow, while 35 out of 100 seats in the Senate will be decided through the vote.
For US expats in the UK, voting is based on the last address the voter lived at in the US before moving abroad. To register and request a ballot, voters must apply for the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). Those who have never lived in the US may still be able to vote, depending on the state, and should check their state's current details before completing the FPCA.
How to cast your vote from the UK
On the FPCA, voters can choose how to receive their ballot, with some sent electronically. The ballot must then be completed before the deadline and posted, which also depends on the state. There is no set deadline for the whole country, so voters need to check with their individual state for deadlines on registering for the FPCA, requesting a ballot, and returning it.
Some regions still allow votes to be sent off. Certain states, such as Mississippi and Washington, have no deadlines for requesting the ballot. However, for some states, the ballot must arrive by a specific deadline to be counted. For example, ballots for Wisconsin must be received by 8pm on November 3, while those voting in California can have ballots arrive up until November 10, provided they were mailed by November 3.
