Office Hours: The Future of Real Estate Commissions, Why Americans Abroad Need to Vote, and How to Be a Good Son

Voting Hurdles

Americans voting from abroad face significant hurdles, as highlighted by Scott Galloway. Only 3.4% of eligible overseas Americans participated in the 2022 midterm elections, a stark contrast to the 67% turnout rate in the U.S. general election 1. One major obstacle is the unreliable mailing systems in many countries, which complicates the process of sending in ballots 1.

The idea, I guess, of trying to mail in your ballot from I don't want to name a country because I'll sound, I don't know, it'll be considered a hate crime, but I guess the complexity of not being able to go to your voting booth or I bet a lot of this perception, I bet it would get there.

--- Scott Galloway

Galloway emphasizes the importance of maintaining a connection to one's homeland through voting, urging Americans abroad to participate in elections despite these challenges 1.

   

Political Impact

The potential impact of increased overseas voting on U.S. politics is significant. Scott Galloway suggests that if more Americans abroad voted, it could influence the political landscape, particularly benefiting Democratic candidates due to the demographic tendencies of expatriates 1. Many overseas Americans are college-educated and younger, demographics that typically lean Democratic 1.

So about 32% of people in the United States have a bachelor's degree, whereas people living overseas, it's about two thirds of them, it's about 66%.

--- Scott Galloway

Galloway believes that engaging this voting bloc could have broader implications for American economic policy and global positioning 2.