In This Issue —

Events:

• How to Survive Tax Day as an American Abroad
• Experienced Dems Meet-up
• Reparations and the Black Vote

Issues & Actions:

• January 15 is International Voter Registration Day
• Democrats Abroad Tax Advocacy
• ‘22 Wins = ‘23 Momentum

Inside DA Austria: 

• Save the Date!
• It’s All Happening at #demsaustria
• We Can’t Win Without You! 

Our Executive Committee meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. Our next meeting will be held in person and online on: Wednesday, January 11, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Richard at [email protected] to join. 

DAA is making a strong effort to include in our monthly newsletter all the information you need to stay up to date. By sending you fewer emails, we hope you will read those you receive. Thanks for reading!

Message from the Chair

When I was at the Silvesterpfad on New Year Eve, a TV reporter put a microphone in my face and asked me what I’ll remember most about 2022, and my resolutions for 2023. I fumbled with an answer in German, but what was truly on my mind was not really meant for an Austrian audience. It is really geared to you. 

Of course, 2022 was a calamitous year, with the war in Ukraine, floods in Pakistan, drought and famine in the Sahel and Horn of Africa, and the soaring cost of living affecting people globally. The results of the US midterm elections were a welcomed bright spot, and Democrats Abroad played a part in making that happen - one that we can all be proud of. Defying history to retain our majority in the Senate was a great achievement (and relief). However, the House Speaker fiasco on display last week was a preview of what we can expect with a divided government over the next two years. We will have to work hard in 2024.

I am truly grateful for all the Democrats Abroad Austria volunteers who gave so much of their time and energy to support our mission and rally the overseas vote in 2022. It may be hard to imagine but Austria has some of the most active phone bankers in all of DA - logging some 12,000 calls last year. One of those phone bankers, Marjorie Rosenberg of Graz, made 5,000 of those calls! She and the many others - Yvonne, Susan, Robert, Bruce, Tom (to name a few) - are among the heroes who helped save and preserve US democracy. (More shouts out in our achievements section, below).

What has been hard is that many key volunteers left Austria in 2022, leaving big gaps to fill. My heartfelt thanks to my vice chair, Faith Herbold, who left Austria early in the new year to begin a new chapter with her family in New Zealand! I am so grateful for her drive, leadership and contribution over many years for DA Austria (and am particularly thankful that she can rap). The departure of Faith and others means we are in need of new volunteers, especially people willing to run for election to serve on our Executive Committee (more on that later). 

I think we know individual New Year's Resolutions are rarely kept. But perhaps we can have a collective one - that we resolve to contribute, in ways large and small, to ensure Democrats Abroad Austria remains a vibrant community of Americans and that we are ready for even greater activism and success in 2024! 

Events:

Monthly Executive Committee Meeting

When: Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Time: 7:00 p.m. 

Where: Online. Contact Richard ([email protected])  for the link.

How to Survive Tax Day as an American Abroad

When: Wednesday, January, 11

Time: 7:30 p.m. 

Where: Online RSVP 

Experienced Dems Meet-up

When: Tuesday, January, 17

Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Where: Café Museum, Operngasse 7, Vienna 1010

Reparations and the Black Vote

When: Saturday, January, 28

Time: 4:00-5:30 p.m.

Where: Online RSVP 

Annual General Meeting & Executive Committee Elections

When: Sunday, March, 19

Time: TBA

Where: In-Person and Online 

Issues & Actions:

January 15 is International Voter Registration Day

Help raise awareness that Americans need to request absentee ballots every calendar year! Go to VoteFromAbroad.org today. The Federal Voting Assistance Program estimates that only 16% of eligible Americans voted in the 2020 elections and only 7% worldwide. We can do much better than that. Overseas Americans are protected by the UOCAVA Act and Move Act which protects the right to vote and provides special provisions–including receiving an absentee ballot 45 days before an election–for overseas voters. Voting is our Right and votes from abroad have been the margin of difference in close elections. 

Every election cycle, we hear from voters who didn’t receive their ballot, were taken off the voter rolls, or forgot to update their voting records; every election cycle, we spend countless volunteer hours, donations, and energy reminding our members to vote. 

This year, help us help you. Go to VoteFromAbroad.org and update your ballot request. You’ll receive ballots for some critical elections in 2023. And remind your family members, work colleagues, and those in your community to do the same. 

Democrats Abroad Tax Advocacy

In late 2022 DA’s Taxation Taskforce (TTF)  finished a comprehensive report, the Update on Tax and Financial Access Issues of Americans Abroad to bring attention to these issues to our representatives at home. The report enabled the TTF to meet with the Treasury, IRS, and the Joint Committee on Taxation in Congress. They’ve also spoken to UK Finance and are due to speak to EU Banking Federation.

You can get involved and help DA make an impact! 

• Get the 2022 Tax Report to your Members of Congress in three quick and easy steps:
  • Find your two Senators and one House Representative’s Washington DC office phone numbers
  • **Call** their offices
  • Send 3 emails

Detailed instructions are here: https://www.democratsabroad.org/help_share_tax_report_with_your_reps_today 

• Become a tax ambassador for DA Austria! Contact Richard at [email protected] or Rebecca at [email protected] to find out how to get involved. 
• Join the How to Survive Tax Day as an American Abroad on Wednesday, Jan 11, 2023 7:30 pm (Austria) RSVP: democratsabroad.org/SurviveExpatTax

‘22 Wins = ‘23 Momentum

(excerpt from International Chair email)

From Tokyo to Johannesburg, Stockholm to Mexico City, Democrats Abroad kept organizing and persevering throughout 2022. Our dedicated volunteers made over 250,000 phone calls, sent over 500,000 texts, organized thousands of in-person and virtual events, and provided voting assistance nearly round the clock. The result: We defied all odds and elected Democrats to key positions nationwide, putting us on strong footing for both the next legislative session and the 2024 election cycle.

Some noteworthy firsts at Democrats Abroad in 2022

Our volunteers around the world worked to:

• Form Battleground State Teams and a state-specific communications strategy, providing tailored voting and candidate information and organizing over 100 state- and issue-specifc events for voters to learn more about who and what was on the ballot.
• Get published in major U.S. media outlets, including Time, Teen Vogue, and NPR. 
• Expand overseas voting rights at the state level, reinstating the right for New Jerseyans abroad to vote in state-level elections.
• Gain official representation within the Young Democrats of America, creating new avenues for young voters to get involved from abroad and spread the word about DA in collegiate and young professional networks stateside.
• Advocate on behalf of the U.S. and dual citizen community abroad, including meeting with President Biden directly to share perspectives and needs from our unique constituency.

Some noteworthy achievements at Democrats Abroad Austria in 2022

• Democrats Abroad Austria had the third highest percentage rate of members going to VoteFromAbroad.org to request their ballot (44.64%, or 826 members)
• Our DA Austria phone bankers logged more than 12,000 calls in 2022
• Our “Experienced Dems” group returned to meeting in person! A big thanks to John Cahill for organizing the Experienced Dems meet-ups and keeping the group active,
• We held some great events in 2022, namely for Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and our Punsching for Democracy in December.
• We again held an Austria focused calling campaign, followed by a postcard campaign to battleground state voters and then again for the Georgia runoff. 

Inside DA Austria:

Save the Date! 

Annual General Meeting & Executive Committee Elections 

Fresh voices, energy, and ideas — save the date! On Sunday, March 19, 2023 DA Austria members will meet in person and online for our Annual General Meeting and to elect a new Executive Committee. More information about the meeting and how you can run will be posted in February’s newsletter, but we wanted to make sure you add this important date to your calendar!

It’s All Happening at #demsaustria

We’re looking for someone to help run our DA Austria’s Instagram page and social media channels. This is a great resume building opportunity. Be sure to visit today and don’t forget to follow us at #demsaustria!

We Can’t Win Without You! 

DA Austria is looking to strengthen our teams so we can hit the ground running for important Special Elections in 2023 and the presidential election in 2024. 

Have an hour to spare? We are looking for volunteers in all areas and with any time availability. Find out more information about how to join our team. 

Take our Volunteer Survey. 

Do you have an idea? We're looking for suggestions on how we can connect with more Americans in Austria, find places to advertise, events to have, and any suggestions you have to get more people to vote. Bookmark this link and submit your ideas at any time.

Thank you for reading the January Newsletter!

We urge all voters who voted in the November 8 midterm elections in AZ, CA, CO, NV, OR, or WA to confirm that your ballot arrived and was counted without issue. Control of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate will be decided by just a handful of votes in these states. Please act now and double check!

If there are issues preventing your ballot from being counted, these states allow you to "cure" you ballot. This essentially means fixing issues such as mismatched or missing signatures or dates on the ballot materials you returned (note that the issues that can be "cured" do vary by state). Deadlines and processes to remedy issues vary by state. Details are listed below alphabetically by state. 

If there are issues with your ballot, please immediately get in touch with your local election office!

If you have any questions or require help, please write to [email protected].

We have teams standing by to make sure that your vote gets counted!

Arizona 

Deadline to fix ballot issue: November 16, 5:00pm US Mountain Time

Link to look up ballot status online:* https://my.arizona.vote/AbsenteeTracker.aspx 

Look up contact information for local election office: www.votefromabroad.org/states/az 

California

Deadline to fix ballot issue: December 6, 5:00pm US Pacific Time

Link to look up ballot status online:* https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/ 

Look up contact information for local election office: www.votefromabroad.org/states/ca  

Colorado

Deadline to fix ballot issue: November 16

Link to look up ballot status online:* https://colorado.ballottrax.net/voter/

Look up contact information for local election office: www.votefromabroad.org/states/co 

New! You can also fix ballot issues by text: Txt2Cure FAQs (will likely only work cell phones that have US number)

Nevada

Deadline to fix ballot issue: November 14, 5:00pm US Pacific Time

Link to look up ballot status online:* https://www.nvsos.gov/votersearch/

Look up contact information for local election office: www.votefromabroad.org/states/nv

Some Nevada counties have online signature curing resources, see www.nvsos.gov/sos/elections/voters/cure

Oregon

Deadline to fix ballot issue: November 22

Link to look up ballot status online:* https://secure.sos.state.or.us/orestar/vr/showVoterSearch.do

Look up contact information for local election office: www.votefromabroad.org/states/or

Washington

Deadline to fix ballot issue: November 28

Link to look up ballot status online:* https://voter.votewa.gov/WhereToVote.aspx

Look up contact information for local election office: www.votefromabroad.org/states/wa

*If accessing this page outside of the United States, you may need to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). More on using a VPN here: https://www.votefromabroad.org/faqs/TI1 

In This Issue —

Events:

• Election Night Party on November 8
• Experienced Dems Meet-up
• Thanksgiving: A Feast with all the Fixings
• Punsching for Democracy – TBA

Issues & Actions:

• It’s All on the Line
• $15,000/day – You read that right

Midterm Election News:

• Vote from Austria! – Voter Information Guide
• Information for Ballot Access & Return
• DHL 20% Discount

Our Executive Committee meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. Our next meeting will be held in person and online on: Thursday, November 10, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Richard at [email protected] to join.

DA Austria is making a strong effort to include in our monthly newsletter all the information you need to stay up to date. By sending you fewer emails, we hope you will read those you receive. Thanks for reading!

Message from the Chair

Less than a week to go until election day! Volunteers are making thousands of calls in a final push to get voters to request and send back their ballot. If you are among those who still need to mail in your ballot, please consider sending it by DHL, where Democrats Abroad has negotiated a 20% discount for Americans - just use the code USA20. More information is on our Vote from Austria page. So much is riding on this election! If you have voted, please click here. The more members who self-report, the less money and volunteer time we have to spend! Come join us for a drink and conversation at our Election Night Party on Tuesday, Nov. 8. I know we won’t have results yet, but we will celebrate our efforts with the hope that we have even more to celebrate the following day!

— Richard Miller, Chair Democrats Abroad Austria

Still haven't voted? There may still be time!

www.votefromabroad.org/states

Events:

Election Night Party

When: Election Day, Tuesday, November 8

Time: 8:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. (November 9)

Where: The Long Hall Bar Vienna. RSVP for details

What: Join DA Austria as we celebrate our efforts in getting out the vote and watch as the first results come in.

Experienced Dems Meet-up

When: Tuesday, November, 22

Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Where: Café Museum, Operngasse 7, Vienna 1010

Giving Thanks: A Feast with all the Fixings

When: Thursday, November 24

Time: 6:30-10:30 p.m.

Where: Melker Stiftskeller, Schottengasse 3, Vienna 1010.

What: The restaurant will prepare turkey with all the fixings, including a famous aunt's stuffing recipe. Please bring a pie or other dessert to share. Let us know if you can contribute a family favorite!

Drinks are not included and you pay those separately with the restaurant.

The price is $30 for adults, $26 for vegetarians, and $12 for children 12 and under. Please purchase your tickets on the link after you've RSVP'd. Euro/US Dollar ticket price is the same.

Tickets: RSVP for details

Issues & Actions:

It’s All on the Line

It’s hard to believe that races in solidly blue states like California, New York, and Rhode Island may elect Republican candidates this cycle. You may normally feel that your vote doesn’t count, but this year it’s all on the line. Don’t have regrets on November 9 — Vote NOW. Really, what are you waiting for? Go to VoteFromAbroad.org to see if you can still request and return your ballot – there’s still time to do so in many states!

$15,000/day – You Read that Right

Democrats Abroad has run a massive global outreach effort this year to ensure that more overseas voters than ever know they have the right to vote and return their ballots. DA has spent upwards to $15,000 per day since September on phonebanking, texting, postal mailing, and digital ad campaigns – all targeted at voters abroad from must-win states like Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and even Orange County, California.

With your help, we can reach more voters abroad in these final days. Thank you to those of you who have already generously donated recently to help fund these efforts. If you’ve been unable to volunteer, but would still like to support our phonebanking programs, please consider making a donation at www.democratsabroad.org/donate.

Midterm Election News:

Vote from Austria! – Voter Information Guide

Democrats Abroad has created a one stop spot for answering your voting questions. Please share this guide with friends and colleagues who may have questions. Check it out here!

Information for Ballot Access & Return

General information by state at www.votefromabroad.org/states

And state-specific guides for states that often have more barriers to accessing and/or returning ballots:

GA ballot return guide

MI ballot return guide

PA ballot download guide

TX ballot return guide

Ballot Tracking Info

By state at www.votefromabroad.org/states

DHL Discount to the U.S.A.

If your state requires postal mail ballot return, most likely, the BEST option you still have to get your ballot back by your state’s deadline is to use a courier service. Please confirm your State’s “ballot received by” deadline here.

DA Austria has arranged with DHL a discount to send mail (including your ballot) from Austria to the US. The discount is available from Sept. 15 to Nov. 30, 2022. Packages can be sent from DHL Express Flagship Stores and Service Points.

Use USA20 for a 20% discount. More information and details are here: https://www.simplydhl.com/at/usa2022

A few tips:

→ Please do not use an online booking service if your state requires a postmark to be on the outside envelope AND your ballot might arrive close to or after Nov 8. Remember, it can take 4-5 days for courier service to arrive.

→ DHL cannot send to a P.O. Box! Be sure to confirm a street address with your local election official if a P.O. Box is the return address on your ballot.

→ Do NOT require a signature for receipt.

→ Some states allow ballots to be postmarked by Nov 8 and received AFTER Nov 8. Find out your state’s requirements here.

📌 Remember! Only use a mail service if you cannot return your ballot electronically 📌

Thank you for reading the November Newsletter! Thank you for being a voter!

In This Issue —

Events:

• Progressive Happy Hour Calling Party!
• Voter Help Tables in Vienna
• Experienced Dems Meet-up
• Young Dems Pub Night 
• Election Night Party on November 8
• Thanksgiving: A Feast with all the Fixings on November 24
• Punsching for Democracy – TBA

Issues & Actions:

• Key Senate and Congressional Races 
• Help Make November a Roe Wave

Midterm Election News:

• Thanks to our great phone-bankers!
• Vote from Austria! – Voter Information Guide
• Information for Ballot Access & Return 
• DHL 20% Discount 

Review:

• DAATalks about the Georgia Midterm Elections

Democrats Abroad In the News: 

• DA in Teen Vogue and Other Publications

Members Corner

• Campaign Support from a Distance

Our Executive Committee meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. Our next meeting will be held in person and online on: Wednesday, October 12, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Richard at [email protected] to join. 

DAA is making a strong effort to include in our monthly newsletter all the information you need to stay up to date. By sending you fewer emails, we hope you will read those you receive. Thanks for reading!

Message from the Chair

It’s almost a rap! Less than 30 days to go until the midterm election - and we are doing everything we can to rally the overseas vote. We even produced the first-ever VoteFromAbroad.org Rap! If you have not seen it, you can find it here on Facebook and here on YouTube! A big thanks to our vice chair, Faith Herbold, for rapping with me, all those who sent in contributions for the chorus, and to my musical collaborator, Gregor Loetsch, an Austrian ally of ours, for composing the music and producing the video. Please watch it, share it, and spread the word. Request your ballot at VoteFromAbroad.org, and send it in ASAP!

A big shout out to all of our volunteers who are doing all they can in their free time and in between full-time jobs to get out the vote in these final weeks. A special thanks to all of our amazingly dedicated phonebankers in Austria, who are among the top callers in the DA world. You are truly making a difference!

Keep motivated and keep positive.

— Richard Miller, Chair, DA Austria 

ps –

Let us know if you've already voted! The more members who self-report, the less money and volunteer time we have to spend!

Events:

Progressive Happy Hour Calling Party!

When: Friday, October 14

Time: 4:30-6:00 p.m.

Where: Online. RSVP for details

Voter Registration Help Tables in Vienna

When: Saturday, October 15 and 22

Time: 12:00-2:00 p.m.

Where: Café Museum, Operngasse 7, Vienna 1010. RSVP for details

Experienced Dems Meet-up

When: Tuesday, October 18

Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Where: Café Museum, Operngasse 7, Vienna 1010. RSVP for details

Election Night Party on November 8

When: Election Day, Tuesday, November 8

Time: 8:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. (November 9)

Where: The Long Hall Bar Vienna. RSVP for details

What: Join DA Austria as we celebrate our efforts in getting out the vote and watch as the first results come in. 

Giving Thanks: A Feast with all the Fixings

When: November 24

Time: 6:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Where: Melker Stiftskeller, Schottengasse 3, Vienna 1010. RSVP for details

What: The restaurant will prepare turkey with all the fixings, including a famous aunt's stuffing recipe. Please bring a pie or other dessert to share. Let us know if you can contribute a family favorite!  

Drinks are not included and you pay those separately with the restaurant. 

The price is $30 for adults, $26 for vegetarians, and $12 for children 12 and under. Please purchase your tickets on the link after you've RSVP'd. Euro/US Dollar ticket price is the same. 

Click "Read More" below to find out everything that's happening in DA Austria in October

In September's Newsletter —

Message from the DA Austria Chair

Events:

• Postcard Writing Party
• Voter Registration Tables in Graz, Salzburg, and Vienna
• Register Together – Voter Registration Day of Action
• Experienced Dems Meet-up
• Lady Day Theater FunRaiser
• Young Dems Pub Night
• September 24 Ballot Day Rally “Delivering Democracy”
• Election Night – TBA
• DAATalks about the Midterm Message – TBA
• Thanksgiving Celebration on November 24

10 Actions to Take Now!

Issues & Actions:

• Progress to Repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision
• Dems Deliver
• Help Make November a Roe Wave
• Alma Mater Writing Campaign

Midterm Election News:

• Upcoming Primary Dates
• Vote from Austria! – Voter Information Guide
• We Need Your Help!
• Be the Margin of Victory

Democrats Abroad In the News:

• Thanks for the Tweet Nancy!

Our Executive Committee meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. Our next meeting will be held in person and online on: Wednesday, September 14, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Richard at [email protected] to join.

DAA is making a strong effort to include in our monthly newsletter all the information you need to stay up to date. By sending you fewer emails, we hope you will read those you receive. Thanks for reading!

Message from the Chair

Dems Deliver! The recent passage of the landmark Inflation Reduction Act shows that (after long delays) we can make progress to curb inflation, lower prescription drug prices, and promote clean energy (see Ted France’s column below). We can only continue to make progress on these issues if we control Congress! We are nearly two months away from the midterm elections. We at Democrats Abroad Austria—and other Democrats Abroad country committees—are working hard to mobilize the overseas vote. Phonebankers are calling tens of thousands of DA members who vote in battleground states and social media campaigns have been launched. Meanwhile, postcards are being sent out to many of you in Austria as a final reminder: please go to votefromabroad.org and request your ballot and urge others in your circle to do the same. If you want to get involved in our final push to get out the vote, please contact me at [email protected].

-Richard

Chair, Democrats Abroad Austria

Events:

Postcard Writing Party!

When: Thursday, September 8

Time: 6:00-8:00 pm

Where: Private home. RSVP for details

What: We will be sending postcards to members living in Austria, and we’re gathering for pizza and drinks to customize the cards. If you can spare a few hours, please join us. Go to our signup genius link to RSVP. We’ll be in touch with more details.

Link: RSVP for details

Voter Registration Table in Graz

When: Friday, September 9

Time: 4:00 -11:00 pm

Where: Herzl Weinstube, Prokopigasse 12, 8010 Graz

Link: RSVP here

Register Together in Salzburg – Voter Registration Day of Action

When: September 17

Time: 5:00 - 7:00pm

Where: TBD, Müllner Hauptstraße, 5020 Salzburg

Link: RSVP here

Register Together in Vienna – Voter Registration Day of Action

When: September 17

Time: 10:00am - 3:00pm

Where: Mark's Bagels, Führichgasse 1, 1010 Vienna

Link: RSVP here

Experienced Dems Meet-up

When: September 20

Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Where: Café Museum, Operngasse 1, 1010 Vienna

Link: RSVP here

Lady Day Theater FunRaiser

When: September 21 (new date!)

Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm

Where: Theater Drachengasse,Fleischmarkt 22, 1010 Vienna

Link: RSVP here

Young Dems Pub Night

When: September 22

Time: 6:30pm - 9:30pm

Where: Trattoria Officina, Neumanngasse 4, 1040 Vienna

Lunk: RSVP here

Coming Up – details to be updated at democratsabroad.org/at_events

September 24 Ballot Day Rally “Delivering Democracy” — Join DA members and activists around the world for top-name speakers and candidates from critical swing states. Details to be announced! #DeliverDemocracy

Election Night – TBA

DAATalks about the Midterm Message – TBA

Thanksgiving Celebration on November 24

10 Actions to Take NOW to elect Dems on Nov 8th!

#1 - request your ballot at Vote From Abroad (VFA)

#2 - add VFA to your email signature

#3 - share VFA & voting info on social media

#4 - send an alma mater letter

#5 - phonebank with Dems Abroad

#6 - get trained to help voters (on Intercom)

#7 - join a State Team, as a voter or ally

#8 - adopt a campaign (see list) & push on social media

#9 - help 3 people get ballots & get them to help 3 more

#10 – donate to get out the overseas vote

Issues & Actions:

Progress to Repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision

Democrats Abroad is encouraged by the advancement of the Social Security Fairness Act which would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). WEP has unfairly and disproportionately impacted Americans abroad, particularly seniors who paid into Social Security and deserve to receive a fair amount in retirement. Some beneficiaries only learn of WEP after they have retired, and the reduced benefits substantially affect their financial standing in later years.

Read Democrats Abroad full statement on WEP repeal news here.

You can find out more information about what Democrats Abroad is doing and how you can help repeal WEP from these resources:

• Write and call your members of Congress to ask them to help repeal WEP: https://www.democratsabroad.org/contact_your_congressional_representative_about_the_repealing_of_wep
• Click here to sign up for the Seniors Caucus mailing list to stay in the loop on repealing WEP: https://www.democratsabroad.org/gsc
• Read the WEP FAQ: https://www.democratsabroad.org/wep_faq
• Volunteer for the Seniors Caucus to help us repeal WEP sooner: https://www.democratsabroad.org/gsc-volunteer

Dems Deliver!

The proverbial race most often goes to the swift. But sometimes, as Aesop reminds us, the race goes to the slow but steady. Thus, we Democrats and Americans abroad can finally heave a sigh of relief after months of slow and painstaking negotiations, which have resulted in the passage and accomplishment of major legislative goals. Persistence pays.

READ MORE

Help Make November a Roe Wave!

The Supreme Court’s erosion of abortion protections with the Dobbs ruling has caused a backlash and turned what looked like would be a red wave in November into a possible Roe wave.

Woman from Kansas to New York to Louisiana are registering to vote in record-breaking numbers* (NYT Tom Bonier, 9.3.2022). Mr Bonier writes, “As for many Americans, confronting the loss of abortion rights was different from anticipating it. …Women are engaged politically in a way that lacks any known precedent.”

Be a part of it! Make sure every woman you know—whether they’re in Austria or in the States, your daughter or your grandmother—casts their ballot in November’s election. Send them to votefromabroad.org or, if they’re in the U.S., to votesaveamerica.com.

Bonier continues, “Whether the coming elections will be viewed as a red wave, a Roe wave or something in between will be decided by the actions of millions of Americans — especially, it seems, American women.”

At Democrats Abroad we know our votes are critical in swinging elections — ladies, let’s show how it’s done.

Join the online webinar The Fall of Roe on September 13.

Photograph courtesy of Christine Benally Peranteau

Alma Mater Writing Campaign

Democrats Abroad invites YOU to participate in an alumni outreach campaign to help encourage democratic participation by students studying abroad during the Fall 2022 semester. Our goal is to have members reach out to their alma mater(s) and make sure they’re providing accurate and current information about registering to vote to students while they're abroad.

All details and templates can be found at https://www.democratsabroad.org/almamater.

Midterm Election News:

Upcoming Primary Dates

Massachusetts primary - September 6

Delaware | New Hampshire | Rhode Island primaries - September 13

Vote from Austria! – Voter Information Guide

Democrats Abroad has created a one stop spot for answering your voting questions. Please share this guide with friends and colleagues who may have questions.

Check it out here!

Key Senate and Congressional Races

There are nine races deemed “highly competitive” by the Cook Report and others. With a net gain of two Senators (= victory in six of these nine contests), Dems take real control of the Senate.

Share these candidates’ websites on social media! Far and wide! Several of them will be joining us on September 24, Ballot Day!

Find out more about about key races here: Battleground State Voting Information Pages and State Team Pages.

READ MORE

We Need Your Help!

Thanks to your help phonebanking, registering people to vote, and writing postcards in 2020, we not only elected Democratic majorities to the U.S. Senate and U.S. House, but we took back the White House.

The next 70 days will have a lasting impact on our country. Do your part to get out the vote in 2022! Come help out at an upcoming voter registration table, study abroad event, or postcard writing party. Or call members to remind them to request their ballot.

If you can’t give us your time this election cycle, please consider making a donation instead at www.democratsabroad.org/donate. Every dime helps us reach more overseas voters. $20.22 will help keep Congress blue!

Be the Margin of Victory

In 2020, Democrats Abroad volunteers like you came together to defend American democracy. The truth is that if U.S. voters abroad hadn’t shown up in 2020, we would be looking at a very different political landscape in the United States: one guided solely by authoritarianism, hate, and one’s own personal benefit. But overseas votes were the margin of victory in many close elections and secured Biden and Harris’s wins in Arizona AND Georgia!

2022 is just as important. November’s midterm elections will determine the fate of countless issues that cannot wait, from our climate to reproductive rights to racial justice. And with more and more races being won by the slimmest of margins, the ballots coming in from U.S. voters abroad are certain to be decisive again this November.

All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for election this November. That means every overseas voter has at least one important race to vote in! Get your absentee ballot today at www.votefromabroad.org.

The time to request your ballot is now! Don’t wait.

Democrats Abroad In the News:

Thanks for the Tweet Nancy!

Congrats to the Global Twitter team for getting Nancy Pelosi to shout us out! Continue to share!

Thank you for reading the September Newsletter! Please share with your networks. Don't forget as an overseas voter you need to request your ballot in every election year!

Go to VoteFromAbroad now!

The proverbial race most often goes to the swift. But sometimes, as Aesop reminds us, the race goes to the slow but steady. Thus, we Democrats and Americans abroad can finally heave a sigh of relief after months of slow and painstaking negotiations, which have resulted in the passage and accomplishment of major legislative goals. Persistence pays.

There are nine races deemed “highly competitive” by the Cook Report and others. With a net gain of two Senators (= victory in six of these nine contests), Dems take real control of the Senate.

Share these candidates’ websites on social media!  Far and wide!

Find out more about about key races here: Battleground State Voting Information Pages and State Team Pages.

Key Senate Races: 

ARIZONA Mark Kelly  • FLORIDA Val Demmings• GEORGIA Raphael Warnock  •  

NEVADA Catherine Cortez Masto • NEW HAMPSHIRE Maggie Hassan• 

NORTH CAROLINA Cheri Beasley  •OHIO Tim Ryan • 

PENNSYLVANIA John Fetterman • WISCONSIN Mandela Barnes 

Key Congressional Races: 

ALASKA Mary Peltola 

ARIZONA Jevin Hodge (AZ-1) Kirsten Engel (AZ-6) Greg Stanton (AZ-9) 

CALIFORNIA  Josh Harder (CA-10) Adam Gray (CA-13) Rudy Salas (CA-22) Christy Smith (CA-27) Will Rollins (CA-41) Jay Chen (CA-45) Katie Porter (CA-47) Mike Levin (CA-49)  

COLORADO Yadira Caraveo (CO-31)

FLORIDA

ILLINOIS Sean Casten (IL-6) Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) Eric Sorensen (IL-17)

INDIANA Frank Mrvan (IN-1)

IOWA Cindy Axne (IA-3)

KANSAS Sharice Davids (KS-3)

MAINE  Jared Golden (ME-2)

MARYLAND David Trone (MD-6)

MICHIGAN Hillary Scholten (MI-3) Dan Kildee (MI-5) Elissa Slotkin (MI-07) 

Carl Marlinga (MI-10)

MINNESOTA Angie Craig (MN-2)

NEW JERSEY Tom Malinowski (NJ-7)

NEW MEXICO Gabe Vasquez (NM-2)

NEW YORKBridget Fleming (NY-1)

NORTH CAROLINA Don Davis (NC-1)Wiley Nickel (NC-13)

OHIO Greg Landsman (OH-1) Marcy Kaptur (OH-9) Emilia Sykes (OH-13)

OREGON Jamie McLeod-Skinner (OR-5)

PENNSYLVANIA Susan Wild (PA-7) Matt Cartwright (PA-8)  Chris Deluzio (PA-17)

TEXAS Michelle Vallejo (TX-15)

VIRGINIA Elaine Luria (VA-2) Abigail Spanberger (VA-7)

WASHINGTON Kim Schrier (WA-8)

Marquee Governors’ Races:  

ARIZONA Katie Hobbs 

FL Charlie Crist, GA, MI, PA, TX, WI

This is a midterm election year — all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 of the 100 Senate seats, and 39 gubernatorial seats are up for grabs in November. U.S. citizens have the right to vote in primary and general elections, no matter where in the world they live! If you're a U.S. citizen, dual-national, or will be 18 on November 8, 2022, you have the right to vote from abroad in US elections — including in the November 2022 midterms!

As a U.S. citizen, you can register to vote from abroad while living, working, or traveling overseas by submitting one form — the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). It doesn't matter if you were registered to vote before you left the U.S., how long you’ve lived outside the U.S., or if you've never resided in the U.S. at all. You have the right to vote!

The U.S. State Department recommends, “all U.S. citizens living abroad complete and submit a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) annually, to ensure you remain on your state’s voter rolls and to ensure your local election office has your up-to-date contact information.” Vote From Abroad provides all the information, forms, and support help in one place to make voting easy!

📌  Please note that there is NO IN-PERSON VOTING in Austria for the November election! 📌

✭ ✭ ✭ In 2022, these States must mail in the ballot. Vote as soon as you get your ballot! Don't wait to return your ballot! ✭ ✭ ✭

 Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Go to www.votefromabroad.org/states for specific  details

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What's covered on this page: 

1. Registering to vote and requesting your ballot

2. Confirming your request has been accepted

3. Receiving your ballot

4. Oct 1 and the ballot hasn’t arrived? 

5. Voting your ballot

6. Returning your ballot

7. Checking twice to prevent mistakes

8. Confirming your ballot's arrival

9. What to do if you encounter difficulties

10. Getting your "I Voted from Austria" Stickers 

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1. Registering to vote and requesting your ballot for the 2022 midterm elections

The first step is to request your ballot, and if need be, register to vote from abroad. You should do this every election year to ensure you remain on your state’s overseas voter rolls and to ensure your local election office has your up-to-date contact information. It’s important to register as an absentee voter from abroad because the ballots of US citizens voting from abroad have special protections and are different from the standard absentee ballot. 

Go to votefromabroad.org to fill out your Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) absentee ballot request — it takes 5-10 minutes! If you're not registered to vote, the FPCA also serves as a voter registration form. Choose the option to receive ballots by email.

The second step is to submit the FPCA absentee ballot request form to your local election office in the United States. Most states allow you to submit your FPCA directly from votefromabroad.org without the need to print it out. But some states require that you submit your completed form by email attachment, fax, or postal mail. State deadlines and submission methods can be found here.

If you have any questions while filling out your request form, go to the Vote from Abroad FAQ section or type your question in the website's chatbox (red circle in the bottom right-hand corner of each screen). Or you can email us at [email protected] 

2. Confirming your request has been accepted  ✅

After submitting your FPCA absentee ballot request form, call or email your Local Election Official (LEO) to confirm they have received it and will be sending your ballot. Your LEO's contact information is listed in the instructions generated when you fill out your FPCA form at Vote from Abroad. You can also look up their contact info here. 

Most states provide a website where you can verify your voter status. To find your state's website, click here and scroll down to “Where Is My Ballot?"

3. Receiving your ballot 📬

Your overseas absentee ballot is not your standard absentee ballot back home! Thanks to the MOVE Act, all states must send FPCA-requested  absentee ballots to overseas voters no later than 45 days before a federal election — this year that’s September 24, 2022. 

And, if requested, all states must send overseas voters their ballot by email.

You don't need to wait for ballots to arrive on September 24. If you're worried your ballot won't arrive on time, send in a Backup Ballot NOW. The Backup Ballot (Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot or FWAB) is specifically for overseas voters who are concerned they won't receive their official ballot in time to return it by the deadline. All details about the Backup Ballot can be found here.

4. Your ballot hasn’t arrived? 📭

Check your spam folder. Still no ballot? Contact your local election official here and confirm they’ve sent your ballot to you. Go to votefromabroad.org if you need to send in a new FPCA absentee ballot request form.

If you haven’t received your ballot by October 1 and your state requires postal mail return, we recommend you send in a Backup Ballot to make sure your vote gets to your state in time. All details about the Backup Ballot can be found here.

5. Voting your ballot 🗳️

It’s easy to get informed about candidates, ballot initiatives, and judicial candidates and important to vote your ballot completely. State and local races are critical in 2022! 

The simplest way is to vote for Democrats straight down the ballot. Some elected positions do not list a party affiliation, like school boards, judges, and others. To determine who to vote for in those cases, you can do the following: 

• Google your county's local Democratic Party
• Go to the League of Women Voters personalized ballot service 
• Go to Ballotpedia - Example: google “Ballotpedia Arizona elections 2022”
• Google the candidate's name to find their campaign website

6. There are lots of ways to return your ballot! 

📌 Remember! Only use a mail service if you cannot return your ballot electronically 📌

Ballot return methods – by email, online, postal mail, fax – vary by state. Always return your ballot as quickly as possible, but especially if your state only allows postal mail return. Find your state's exact ballot return methods here.

If your state allows email, online upload or fax  for ballot return, please use these options as they’re not subject to delay! Here is more information on fax submission.

If your state requires postal mail return, see info below on options from Austria.

New Jersey Voters: Please note that New Jersey allows for email or fax returns, but requires that the ballot ALSO be sent by postal mail.

New York Voters: Here are instructions on How to fold the New York State General Election ballot.

➡ International Postal Service:  

If your state requires postal mail ballot return, one option is to use express international mail from the Austrian Postal Service. Please remember mail service can be slow and send your ballot as soon as possible!

You should – and some states require you – to ask for a postmark or date stamp (Zeitstempel) to be placed on the outer envelope. Find out your state’s requirements here. 

➡ The U.S. Embassy/Consulate diplomatic pouch:

As of October 8, it is now too late to use the US Embassy pouch service! Use the DHL code USA20 for a 20% discount.

The U.S. Consulate in Austria requests that ballots sent by the diplomatic post be dropped off no later than four weeks before the ballot due date. You will need to place your ballots in a U.S. postage paid return envelopes (usually provided with your ballot) or in envelopes bearing sufficient U.S. postage. You can download a free U.S. postage-paid return envelope template at FVAP.gov.

Please be aware that using the diplomatic pouch does not mean your ballot will arrive faster. It can take up to four weeks for the mail to reach its final destination. Use a Back-up Ballot to make the diplomatic pouch deadline if your regular ballot hasn’t arrived. Find out more here.

The U.S. Consulate address in Austria is: 

U.S. Consulate Vienna
Parkring 12a (Marriott hotel building)
1010 Vienna, Austria
Hours: Weekdays between 8am and 4pm. (Closed U.S. and Austrian holidays)
Nearest metro stops: Weihburgasse (Tram 2), Stadtpark (U4), Stubentor (U3)

More information is on the website  

➡ Courier Service:

If your state requires postal mail ballot return, the quickest option is to use a courier service.

DA Austria is working to arrange with DHL a discount for ballots to be returned to the U.S. We'll share the specific details here as soon as they've been set. Stay tuned!

Even with expedited courier services though, ballots still take several days to get to the United States. Please send your ballot as soon as possible! Do not wait! You should – and some states require you – ask for a postmark or date stamp (Zeitstempel) to be placed on the outer envelope. Find out your state’s requirements here. We do not recommend booking or paying online with any courier service. You will not receive a postmark if you book or pay online.

DHL is offering a discount to send mail (including your ballot) from Austria to the US. The discount is available from Sept. 15 to Nov. 30, 2022. Packages can be sent from DHL Express Flagship Stores and Service Points. 

DHL cannot send to a P.O. Box! Be sure to confirm a street address with your local election official if a P.O. Box is the return address on your ballot. 

Use USA20 for a 20% discount with DHL. More information and details are here:  https://www.simplydhl.com/at/usa2022

Please do not use an online booking service if your state requires a postmark to be on the outside envelope AND your ballot might arrive close to or after Nov 8! Find out your state’s requirements here.

📌 Remember! Only use a mail service if you cannot return your ballot electronically 📌

7. Checking twice to prevent mistakes 👀

When filling out and packaging your ballot, don't forget to review the instructions carefully. Don't let human error spoil your ballot!

Regardless of how you send in your ballot, remember that you – the voter – must be the one who places it “in the mail.” In some states, it is unlawful for any other person to handle your voted ballot, even if it is sealed. Unsure? Find out your state’s requirements here. 

8. Confirming your ballot's arrival at your local election office in the United States ✓✓

Once you've sent your ballot, follow up with your local election official to make sure that it arrived and will be counted. Please do not just assume that your ballot has made it! 

The easiest way to ensure your ballot has arrived is to go to "Track Your Ballot" on your state’s website. You can also look up your local election office's contact details here and contact them directly. They may be experiencing a high volume of calls, so you may need to be persistent to get through to someone.

9. Having trouble? Need help? 😕

We understand that the voting process to some states can be confusing — that's why we're here to help! Send us an email at  [email protected] or contact [email protected] 

Or, a one-on-one live voter help is just a Zoom away! Click in to ZoomTheVote, hosted and staffed by experienced VoteFromAbroad voter helpers, from anywhere in the world. Tuesdays and Wednesdays from noon-4pm EDT and Sundays from 11am-3pm EDT. Link to join is here: https://qrco.de/bbh0zg Please share widely!

10. Get your "I Voted from Austria" sticker

Thank you for voting!  If you would like to print an “I Voted from Austria” sticker go here.

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In This Issue —

Events:

• Experienced Dems Meet-Up – Summer pause
• Global Pride Fundraiser in Amsterdam
• Lady Day Theater FunRaiser
• Oktoberfest in Munich

Issues & Actions:

• We Can & Must Fight Back
• DA Austria In the News
• Innsbruck Consular Services
• Follow us on TikTok

Midterm Election News:

• The Missing 83%
• State Teams
• Dialing for Democracy Results

Reviews:

• Pride Parade
• Fourth of July Party

Our Executive Committee meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. Our next meeting will be held online on: Wednesday, July 13, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Richard at [email protected] to join.

DAA is making a strong effort to include in our monthly newsletter all the information you need to stay up to date. By sending you fewer emails, we hope you will read those you receive. Thanks for reading!

Message from the Chair

Leading up to our Independence Day Celebration in Vienna, I heard from a number of people who wanted to sit this July 4th out. They told me they thought there was nothing to celebrate about America. The Supreme Court decisions overturning Roe v Wade, the ruling limiting the EPA’s power to combat climate change, the seemingly weekly news of mass shootings - now even at a July 4th Parade - are tragedies that leave us little to celebrate.

However, it is my hope that we can channel our emotions - our sadness, anger, frustation - to take action. For Democrats Abroad, that means ensuring every one of our 200,000 plus members requests their ballot and votes in the mid-term elections. We have a ways to go. As of today, only 18% of our members have requested their ballot at our VFA website, and only 17% of our members in Austria.

What can you do? If you have not done so already, please request your ballot at VoteFromAbroad.org. Also, please volunteer with Democrats Abroad Austria, including perhaps joining our phone banking team. DA Global is launching important calling campaigns in August to call overseas Americans who vote in battleground states. Please consider joining us! It is both fun and rewarding work helping voters to request their ballot. The overseas vote was the margin of victory in key races in 2020 and 2021.

Let’s do it in 2022!

-Richard Miller, chair, Democrats Abroad Austria

Events:

Training Tuesdays

When: Ongoing

Time: See schedule

Where: Online

Hosted by DA Germany

State Teams Events and Planning Sessions

When: Ongoing

Time: See schedule

Where: Online

Hosted by: DA State Teams

Amsterdam Canal Pride

When: August 5–8

Time: Varies

Where: Amsterdam

RSVP to attend

Hosted by DA Global LGBTQ+ Caucus & DA Netherlands

Theater Fun-Raiser – Lady Day

When: September 20

Time: 8:00pm

Where: Drachengasse Theater

Minimum Donation: $38

RSVP to attend

Hosted by DA Austria

Oktoberfest Extravaganza

When: Oct 2, 2022

Time: 11:00 am

Where: Munich

RSVP to attend

Hosted by DA Global & DA Germany

Issues & Actions:

We Can & Must Fight Back

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is an abhorrent and unprecedented assault on our fundamental human rights. Today is a dark day, a hard day in American history.

Stripped of protections and freedoms the past 50 years had granted us, we now confront a new, grim reality where our health, marriages, and basic bodily autonomy are on the chopping block. Make no mistake: the radical Republican Party has no intention of stopping with Roe.

We can and we must fight back. We must show up to the polls this November — and make sure that every single American we know has a plan to vote, too.

In this moment of despair, let us not forget that the power still resides with us – and that the overwhelming majority of Americans support the freedoms Roe upheld. A net gain of only two more U.S. Senators will allow for abortion rights to be codified at the federal level. The America we want, need, and deserve is within reach, and Democrats Abroad is committed to making it a reality.

We still have each other — and our resolve to fight for our basic rights. Let’s do this.

– Candice Kerestan, DA International Chair

DA Austria In the News

Sophie Spiegelberger, DA Austria Communications Director, was invited to appear on Puls 24 on July 1 to discuss the US Supreme Court’s decision to curtail the EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

Interested in more news regarding the decision? Be sure to join the Global Progressive Caucus and the Global Environment and Climate Crisis Council to stay informed.

Puls 24 clip

Innsbruck Consular Services – July 18-19

Attention U.S. citizens in western Austria! A Consular Team from U.S. Embassy Vienna will be visiting Innsbruck, Monday July 18 - Tuesday, July 19, 2022. We are offering LIMITED appointments for applicants who must appear in-person for services such as Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), passport renewals for children under 16, and replacement of a lost or stolen passport (DS-11 applications), and emergency notary services. The turnaround time for passports and CRBAs is about 2 weeks.

If you are interested in Innsbruck services, please send a detailed email to [email protected] and include the names and Dates of Birth of all applicants and attendees, contact information, and what service(s) you require.

Due to the high demand and limited appointment slots, we will not be able to accept all requests. If your case is selected, we will send you a follow-up email with the exact time, date and location for your Innsbruck appointment.

Innsbruck applicants must arrive fully prepared with all required application forms, supporting documentation, photocopies and self-addressed stamped envelope. We are only able to accept payment in Euros (exact change only).

See the consulate’s website for detailed instructions on all consular services: https://at.usembassy.gov

– U.S. Embassy Vienna

Follow us on TikTok

Vote from Abroad is on TikTok and it’s pretty awesome. Have your kids show you how to use it if you don’t know 😉. DA-UKs summer interns from Syracuse have outdone themselves! Take a look at the VoteFromAbroad TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@votefromabroad.org and the Democrats Abroad TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@demsabroad/video/7105060440622845189

– Linda Adeson, DA United Kingdom

Midterm Election News:

The Missing 83%

Are you one of the 83% of DA Austria members who has not yet gone to VoterFromAbroad and requested your ballot for the 2022 midterms? What are you waiting for?

The GOP is and will do everything in their power to prevent our votes from being counted. Do not let that happen! Go to votefromabroad.org today and register/request your ballot. The FVAP form on the site provides special protections for overseas voters that a regular absentee ballot does not. Plus, the up-to-date Frequently Asked Questions section and voter assistance volunteers are there to answer your questions.

Be counted — and make sure your family, friends and colleagues are too!

State Teams

Do you vote in California, Ohio, North Carolina or Florida? The State Teams group is hosting Candidate meet & greets and organizing meetings in July. Go to the State Teams event page to find out more about these events and others from many States across the Union.

Dialing for Democracy Results

The D4D 48 hour around-the-world fundraiser Call-a-thon which took place over the weekend of June 25-26 was a great success!

Thanks to the time and amazing effort spent by DA volunteers during Dialing for Democracy, together 72 callers from 21 countries on four continents and in all three regions made 5771 calls!

And 24 donors raised more than $2400 to help Democrats Abroad to get out the overseas vote.

Working together on actions like D4D shows DA volunteers are a force to be reckoned with when we set our minds to it. The surge of calls over the weekend was 4-5 times our recent daily call averages and it is truly important to get to these battleground state voters now, as our callers know from hearing members eagerness to vote and their need to be reminded!

DA Austria led the way in the number of contributions given from any one country with nine unique donations raising $670 dollars — thank you donors for your generosity!

Four DA-AT callers (the sixth from 21 CCs participating ) made 323 calls, the fourth highest – only behind Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, and Mexico – once again swinging above our weight! Thank you callers!

Please donate a little or a lot to congratulate DA Austria’s callers’ success and support the thousands of calls that we’ll be making in the fall! https://www.democratsabroad.org/d4d_donate

Are you interested in helping us call members in the fall? There are regular training sessions to learn to be a phonebanker or to help answer voter questions. Find out more here https://www.democratsabroad.org/live_training Trainings are updated regularly.

– Jen Rakow-Stepper, DA-AT Member-at-Large, RVC-EMEA

Review:

Pride Parade

Thanks to everyone who joined Democrats Abroad Austria as we again walked with pride in Vienna’s annual Regenbogenparade on June 26. While our group was small, we had lots of spirit and Faith’s soundtrack had the crowd around us dancing!

Fourth of July Party

Thanks to everyone who attended our Fourth of July event in the Prater! We had live music from the band “Rage Against the Voting Machines” and your chair and vice chair, Richard and Faith, performed the VoteFromAbroad.org Rap (stay tuned for the music video). Congratulations to our raffle winners. The event was a fundraiser for DA Global’s get-out-of-the-vote efforts, including funding upcoming calling campaigns. We raised a bit over 200 euros for the cause. If you care to contribute, here is the link.

Thank you for reading July’s newsletter and we’ll see you in September!

Our fearless Chair & Vice Chair at Vienna Pride

In This Issue —

Events:

• Young Dems Meet-Up – Tuesday!
• Experienced Dems Meet-Up 
• Pride Parade in Vienna 
• Fourth of July Party  
• Global Pride Fundraiser in Amsterdam 
• Oktoberfest in Munich 

Issues & Actions:

• Why We Can’t Stop Mass Shootings
• Meet DA Austria’s Youth Caucus Coordinator

Midterm Election News:

• Austria calling campaign concludes
• Battleground States Call Campaigns – Phonebank!
• Your Vote is Your Voice
• Voter Registration Tables

Reviews:

• DA’s Annual Global Meeting

Our Executive Committee meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. However, our next meeting will be held online on: Thursday, June 23, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Richard at [email protected] to join.

DAA is making a strong effort to include in our monthly newsletter all the information you need to stay up to date. By sending you fewer emails, we hope you will read those you receive. Thanks for reading!

Message from the Chair 

Everything is on the line: that’s the slogan we came up with for our June newletter. During 2020, we knew Trump was a threat to our democracy. But the threat is as real as ever.

At our DA Global Annual General meeting last month, guest speaker Senator Cory Booker of NJ spoke of a “real crisis in our country.”

“We are seeing the rolling back of rights, from voting rights to the sanctity of the dominion over your own body. We see threats to our democracy in ways we have not seen,” Sen. Booker said.

He told the story of driving out into Hurricane Sandy in 2012 when he was mayor of Newark. An elderly man in a rain slicker was standing out in the storm with a flood light alterting traffic to avoid downed powerlines. Booker rolled down his window and asked the man what he was doing out in the storm, and he replied, “I’m standing out here to make sure no one gets hurt.” 

Booker said he has spoken both to the president and governor that night, “but the greatness I saw best exhibited that night was the man on a hill, in dark of night, in a savage storm, looking out for other people.” Then, addressing members of DA, he said, “And in many way I see you all out there in that same spirit, and what you are doing here, standing on hill in a storm, standing together to defend and protect, and it means a lot and it makes a difference.”

Let us all do our part in these next months to not only retain Congress, but increase our majority. Let’s believe it is possible. You can do so by making sure you and every overseas American you know requests their ballot to vote. Indeed, everything is on the line. 

–Richard Miller, Chair, DA Austria 

Events:

Austria Youth Caucus Pizza and Drinks

When: Tuesday, June 7 

Time: 6:00pm CEST

Where: Pizza Bussi Ciao, Piaristengasse 15, Vienna 1080, Austria

RSVP to attend in person

Experienced Dems Meet-Up

When: Thursday, June 9, 2022 

Time: 6:00pm CEST

Where: Café Museum, Operngasse 7, Vienna 1010, Austria

RSVP to attend in person

Pride Parade in Vienna

When: Saturday, June 11, 2022 

Meet: 12:30pm CEST

Meeting Point: Steps of the University of Vienna, Universitätsring 1, Vienna 1010 , Austria

RSVP to attend in person

Celebrate Independence Day with Democrats Abroad

When: Saturday, July 2, 2022 

Time: 12:00 – 4:00 pm CEST

Where: Meierei im Prater Hauptallee 3, Vienna 1020 , Austria

RSVP to attend in person

Pride Parade in Amsterdam with the DA Global LGBTQ+ Caucus

When: Friday, August 05, 2022 at 06:00 PM through August 08, 2022 at 6:00pm

What: Canal Parade on a Parade Boat, Cocktail Party with Special Guests, Walking Tour, Mimosa Brunch, and more!

Where: Various locations in Amsterdam, Netherlands

RSVP to attend in person

Get in Shape for the Midterms — Get Training!

When: Multiple dates through 2022 

Where: Online RSVP for Zoom link 

Oktoberfest in Munich with Democrats Abroad Global

When: Sunday, October 2, 2022 from 11:00am – 2:15pm

What: A fun weekend with othe DA members in Munich!

Where: Festhalle Schottenhammel, Munich, Germany

RSVP to attend in person

Issues & Actions:

Why We Haven’t Stopped Mass Shootings

Frustrated that legislation to stem America’s gun epidemic is going nowhere? How could Democrats fail so miserably despite the momentum gathered after school shootings in the 2010s?

Solidarity Sundays probed this Gordian knot in the wake of January 6, 2021. Frank Smyth, award-winning investigative journalist and author of “The NRA:  The Unauthorized History,” explained a year ago that gun control advocates misunderstand their opponents and what motivates America’s gun rights movement. What’s stopping reform at this point “is neither the gun lobby’s nor the gun industry’s money. It’s the ideology, stupid” – and it’s high time for progressives to challenge it.

Frank advocates for a new approach with former NY Times opinion writer Nicholas Kristof on the NYT podcast Sway with host Kara Swisher – here’s the link to the article and podcast episode. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/26/opinion/sway-kara-swisher-nicholas-kristof-frank-smyth.html

Meet DA Austria’s Youth Caucus Coordinator

Hi Austrian Democrats Abroad,

Some of you may know me from our last annual meeting - I wanted to take a second to introduce myself! My name is Sarah and I was raised in Vienna as a dual citizen. I’m 30 years old and have been involved with Young Dems Abroad for close to ten years. This year it’s my turn to make an impact as Youth Caucus leader.

So we’re reinstating regular in-person Young Dems meetups after a two-year hiatus, and our first meetup is this Tuesday at Pizza Bussi Ciao, where the vibes are good and the pizza is better. My goal is to build a network of young Americans living in Vienna, and all are welcome to join. 

So if you’d like to connect with like-minded expats, come join us on June 7th at 6pm. A table is reserved under the name “Sarah” :)

See you on Tuesday!

— Sarah Knaus, DA Austria Youth Caucus Coordinator

Midterm Election News:

Austria Calling Campaign Concludes

A big ‘thank you’ to all our phone bankers who made our May calling campaign a success. We called nearly 1,000 of our members in Austria, speaking to 359 (34%) of you, leaving 319 (30%) messages, and sending nearly all of you a text message. Our question: did you request your ballot yet? Many did, but those who had not thanked us for the reminder to go to VoteFromAbroad.org. Thanks to everyone who picked up or called back! If any of you need further support or have a question, please call or text 0676 447 3418 or send an email to [email protected].     

Battleground States Call Campaigns

Austria has finished calling our members living is Austria, but there are still thousands of DA members who vote in critical battleground states to be called. We need your help to reach them! 

You can only vote once, but calling multiplies your vote and amplifies your voice and helps and empowers others to cast their one vote. In 2020, DA callers made over 600,000 calls! And we needed every one to win the House, the Senate and Georgia Runoffs, and the Presidency.

Be part of the team and get started with a phonebank training. Learn more about training dates in June and July at phonebank training or get in touch with us at [email protected]

Your Vote is Your Voice

One of the DA’s core activities is to help Americans to register and return their ballots. The non-partisan Vote from Abroad website has up-to-date information so voters are best informed about their state’s regulations and deadlines. There is also a voter protection team that works with local election officers and state secretarys to solve issues that disenfranchise overseas voters. 

Every election cycle we hear from overseas Americans and dual citizens who say they didn’t know they had the right to vote in federal and even state elections. Help us spread the word among your family, friends, and colleagues. And if there are Americans on your sport’s team, club, school, or place of worship, we’re happy to come by and help get them registered – regardless of their party affiliation. Contact the Vote from Abroad Coordinator at [email protected] 

Voter Registration Tables

Are you part of a group — a baseball team, church group, book club, company  — or network with American members? Many US citizens and dual citizens don’t realize they are able to vote in federal elections and many down ballot state races. Help us spread the word! VFA’s trained nonpartisan voter registration volunteers are happy to come to your event and help people register and request their ballots. Contact us at [email protected]

Reviews: 

Democrats Abroad Holds 2022 Global Annual General Meeting

DA leaders from around the world gathered virtually on the weekend of May 21–22 for our Annual General Meeting, getting inspired and sharing best practices to get out of the vote for the upcoming midterm elections.

As DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison told us, “Eighty-one million of us, domestically and abroad, stood up in the face of hate and bigotry in 2020–now let’s step it up again for the midterms.”

DA Austria has three voting representatives who participated in the meeting: Richard Miller, chair, Faith Herbold, vice-chair, and Marcy Fowler, secretary and DPCA voting representative.

Besides Harrison, we heard from DNC Deputy Executive Director Roger Lau and Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey. We also gained ideas and inspiration from DA leaders about how they are mobilizing overseas voters. We got a tour of our soon-to-be-launched new DA website (thanks to many generous donations we're just shy of our target) and learned how battleground state teams are working to rally and support Americans abroad. We also welcomed DA Caribbean Islands, as DA’s newest country committee and the first-ever transnational committee!

We passed the following six resolutions:
·         Memorial Resolution Honoring Jim Christiansen of DA France
·         Resolution to Catalogue Our “Standing Resolutions”
·         Resolution on the Climate Emergency
·         Resolution to Establish a Special Committee on Legal Compliance and Implementation

Issues
·         Resolution to Establish a Standing Voter Protection Committee
·         Resolution in Support of Statehood for Washington, D.C.

All in all, it was outstanding to see the commitment and dedication of so many people – all volunteers – making this organization function. At some points, there were about 190 people on the call, some of them waking up in the middle of the night or staying up to the early hours of morning to attend. Next year, the meeting is expected to be in person in Washington, DC.  

–Richard Miller, Chair, DA Austria 

Thank you for reading the June Newsletter!