Welcome to the DA Australia Newsletter for September 2023.
IN THIS NEWSLETTER -
1. Vote on Election Day 2023 - there are important elections happening!
2. Building DA Australia - can you help?
3. DA Australia Local Chapter Round Up
DA New South Wales
DA Queensland
DA Victoria
DA ACT
4. DA Asia Pacific - Online Upcoming Events
5. DA Global Voter Assistance - Volunteers Welcome
Contact us at any time with questions: info-australia@
1. VOTE ON ELECTION DAY 2023 - there are important elections happening!
Depending on what state you vote in and how you describe your non-resident status, you could be voting in the November 7 2023 elections. The Ohio Reproductive Rights ballot initiative, elections for governor in Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana and control of state legislatures in New Jersey and Virginia are just some of the 2023 elections that will matter to local, state and national politics.
Ballots went out to voters living outside the U.S. on September 23rd.
If you got a ballot, please vote and return it right away.
If you requested a ballot and do not see it in your emails (look in your spam and junk folder), contact your local election official.
If you need a ballot, request one at votefromabroad.org. It's not too late (yet)!
If you need help, message info@votefromabroad.
One-on-one help is available as well! Click here for dates and times when you can access personal support from a voter assistance expert who can help you vote.
2. BUILDING DA AUSTRALIA - CAN YOU HELP?
DA Australia has Local Chapters operating in NSW, Vic, Qld and ACT. They host social and political events and initiatives. See the Local Chapter Round Up below to learn about their work. DA Australia would love to develop chapters in other areas of Australia as well.
At the national level DA Australia undertakes administrative tasks and initiatives to keep the organisation going, i.e.,
- supporting our members to vote,
- looking for Americans in Australia outside of our membership to encourage them to vote, and
- providing a Democratic Party community for Americans in Australia that promotes engagement with DA at all levels.
If you have 2 to 20+ hours to give to DA Australia, please consider volunteering.
Click here to see what volunteer positions we need to fill:
Click here to fill out a volunteer interest form:
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Volunteers at the Sydney, NSW 2020 Global Presidential Primary Voting Centre |
3. DA AUSTRALIA LOCAL CHAPTER ROUND UP
DA Australia’s NSW Local Chapter will be providing voter support and information at the American Expats in Sydney Halloween Party, Thanksgiving event and Super Bowl Watch Party. They’ve also applied to participate in the spectacular Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade, with the objective of drawing attention to voting in 2024. Places in the parade will be awarded in October so, if their application is successful, the NSW Local Chapter will welcome members living all over Australia to come to Sydney on Sat March 2 to march in the parade. Watch this space for more news or register your interest here now.
The NSW Local Chapter meets for Pints and Politics at the Pub on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, 6pm, at the Aurora Rooftop Hotel, located across from Central Station. The DAA-NSW annual Thanksgiving celebration is also in the works! Send questions to nsw@democratsabroadaustralia.
DA Australia’s VIC Local Chapter meets regularly and is planning now for 2023 and 2024. Stay tuned for messages about upcoming events. Contact vic@democratsabroadaustralia.
DA Australia’s ACT Local Chapter is planning events and get out the vote initiatives. Stay tuned for messages about coming events. Contact act@democratsabroadaustralia.
DA Australia’s QLD Local Chapter is looking for new leadership. Contact chair@
DA Australia extends its heartfelt thanks to Layne Mostyn who has served as Queensland Local Chapter Chair for the last 6 years. She has hosted social gatherings, Global Primary Polling Centers, voter support initiatives and many other events. We thank her for the many personal sacrifices she has made in service to our organisation, DA members in QLD and U.S. democracy.
DA Australia Local Chapter Meet-Ups, 2020
4. DA ASIA PACIFIC REGION - Upcoming events
DA Australia is an active participant in the Asia Pacific Region of Democrats Abroad, whose leader is Suma Shumana of DA India. Suma was elected Asia Pacific Regional Vice Chair in June. Coming events:
Asia Pacific Small Business Forum
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The Asia Pacific Region of Democrats Abroad is proud to host business owners from around the region in a forum with the chair of the DNC Small Business Council Andrew Lachman. (Democratic National Committee Small Business Council.)
A brief presentation of the DNC Small Business Council, the Democrats Abroad Taxation Task Force, and the Democrats Abroad Asia Pacific Region will be given at the event. Business owners from the region will be invited to share their experiences and challenges to the DNC in order to inform Democratic policy positions moving into the 2024 election cycle.
Learn to Phonebank Workshop
- Location: Online WebEx
- Date: September 23 2023 with more events coming!
- Time: 2pm Australian Eastern Time
Phone banking is the most effective means for ensuring our members vote in each and every election. This training is foundational for all volunteers wanting to help with phone banking this year or next - join this workshop to learn the basics about calling members using our Callhub phone-banking system and then get started calling members who vote in key elections! All are welcome!
5. DA GLOBAL VOTER ASSISTANCE TEAMS - Volunteers welcome!
Callhub phone-banking and text-banking our members is only the beginning of the Democrats Abroad Get Out The Vote framework. We have a HelpDesk manned 24 hours a day by a team of volunteers living right around the world. We also have a Voter Assistance Zoom Room where voters needing assistance of any kind can meet one-on-one with a fully-trained voter assistance volunteer who will help get the voter’s ballot back to their polling place.
All voter assistance volunteers are provided with extensive training.
Volunteer Assistance Training has 2 modules:
Training #1 - Registration and Ballot Request
Training #2 - Ballot Receipt and Return
For more information, contact [email protected]
To sign up for Voter Assistance training, click here.
Slide from Training #1 - Registration and Ballot Request
There’s also training for HelpDesk volunteers, which is especially important for understanding how to navigate the Intercom.io system. For more information or to become a HelpDesk volunteer, contact info@democratsabroad.