The 2023 DA Switzerland Basel Annual General Meeting will take place in person on Sunday, March 19th!

We will be electing our leaders for 2023-2025; they will guide us through our social, educational, and political events leading up to the 2024 Election.

Are you interested in attending? Please RSVP on the event page here.

Every two years, the Democrats Abroad Switzerland (DACH) Basel Chapter elects a new committee consisting of four positions: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. Democrats Abroad is an organization which supports the Democratic Party agenda by registering U.S. citizens overseas to vote in elections, disseminating information about Democratic candidates and policies, and encourages political activism by assisting voters with their ballot submission, as well as involvement with political causes, such as those promoting social justice awareness, for example. 

Nominations Timeline and Eligibility

All active members of the DACH Basel Chapter are eligible and encouraged to run for a position. To submit your name for a position, please send an email to [email protected] by Sunday, February 12th. 

On Wednesday, February 22nd, candidates’ statements, bios, and voting procedures will be distributed via email, along with the notice of the general meeting. 

At the Annual General Meeting on March 19th, elections will be held along with other business of the chapter body. 

If you are unsure of your active status, please email [email protected].

Position Descriptions: 
 
☆ Chair ☆

• Oversee and coordinate the business functions of the chapter and report to country and global committees as required
• Engage in membership recruitment, retention, and outreach in the eastern-half of German-speaking Switzerland
• Ensure that core work is being done and appoint other positions as necessary for effective functioning of the group
• Represent DACH Basel as a member of the DACH Executive Committee (ExCom) and report to the DACH ExCom on chapter activities
• Work with the other DACH chapters, volunteers, and the DACH ExCom
• Hold regular meetings, direct the activities of DACH in your region, and keep members informed about activities and events
• Contribute to DACH fundraising and ensure all activities are conducted in compliance with FEC and campaign finance laws as established by the ExCom

☆ Vice Chair ☆

• Assist the Chair in all Basel Chapter activities
• Partner with the Chair to take on some of their responsibilities
• Participate in key discussions and decisions as part of the Leadership Team and with the volunteer corps
• Substitute for the Chair when needed
• Organize and conduct any scheduled Chapter meetings in the absence of the Chair
• Attend DACH ExCom meetings in the absence of the Chair
• Represent DACH Basel together with other Chapter members in media relations activities

☆ Secretary ☆

• Distribute meeting agendas to the Chapter Committee as necessary
• Take and distribute minutes of all meetings and distribute to the Chapter Committee and DACH ExCom
• Participate in key discussions and decisions as part of the Leadership Team and with the volunteer corps
• Maintain files and administrative records of the Chapter (Google Drive)
• Manage and maintain the Zurich Chapter membership and volunteer lists in coordination with the DACH Secretary. This may require training on the DA database
• Ensure event advertising, internet, and social media presence in collaboration with event organizers and committee members

☆ Treasurer ☆

• Manage the finances of DACH Basel in agreement with the Basel Chair and the DACH ExCom Treasurer
• Participate in key discussions and decisions as part of the Leadership Team and with the volunteer corps
• Maintain clear and accurate financial records and make financial reports as required
• Ensure all financial matters conform to local rules and regulations as well as to those of the Federal Election Commission and campaign finance laws of the United States
• Educate the Basel Chapter members on latest updates on financial compliance guidance for Democrats Abroad

Nominations and Election Committee:

Tory Mallett - [email protected]

The Basel chapter held their AGM on April 18 and elected a new slate of leaders:

Announcement: Annual General Meeting and Election of Chapter Officers

The Basel Chapter of DA Switzerland (DACH) Officers and the 2021 Nominations and Elections Committee are pleased to inform you that our 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) will occur on Sunday April 18, 2021  from 14:00 - 16:30. All members of the Basel Chapter of Democrats Abroad Switzerland are invited to attend the AGM. Due to COVID restrictions on public gatherings, we will meet online via Zoom. The primary purpose of the meeting is to elect our 2021-2023 Chapter Officers. We hope you will attend to hear our annual report, to show support for the nominees and, most importantly, to vote for the candidates.

The offices to be elected are:

• Chair
• Vice Chair
• Secretary
• Treasurer

We thank all those who came forward to present themselves as candidates. The candidates and their statements are presented below.

Proposed Agenda, subject to change:

• Welcome
• Roll call - online check-in
• Approval of minutes from 2020 AGM
• Year in Review report
• Short description of positions
• Thanks to outgoing officers
• Candidate statements
• Elections
• Welcome of new officers
• Announcements/Upcoming events
• Adjourn

All interested members are encouraged to attend. Pre-registration via our website is encouraged to help us simplify the elections process. You will receive the Zoom link upon registration.

Election Process

Meeting attendees who are members of the DACH Basel chapter as of Friday April 16th may vote. Online ballots will be made available to all eligible attendees.

At the meeting, the four offices will be elected one by one, in the order shown above. Since there is a candidate for each of the offices, per our bylaws nominations for office may not be made from the floor. Each candidate will be given two minutes to address the members.

If you cannot participate in person, it is possible to vote by proxy: Request a proxy form from [email protected], identify a member you know who will attend, send a copy of your completed and signed proxy form to us by April 16th, and give the form to the attending member before the AGM. Any voter at the meeting may hold at most two proxies.

Voting by advance ballot will not be available.

Candidates

Chair - Ben Stewart

My name is Ben Stewart and I am running for the position of Chair for Democrats Abroad-Basel. I am a native Hoosier and I vote in New York where I last lived before moving to the UK, Basel, Dubai, and now back to Basel. Based on my exposure to the DA-Basel community, I am absolutely convinced that we are well-positioned to continue delivering meaningful opportunities for active citizenship for our fellow Americans in the Basel region. More - add link

Vice Chair - Kristen Jafflin

It has been great working with the engaged, active team we have here in Basel over the last 4+ years that I've been active in the chapter. I am hoping to continue that work as Vice Chair for the 2021-2022 period. The last year has been challenging, as the global COVID-19 pandemic prevented us from engaging in many of the activities we hold dear. I'm sure many join me in looking forward to being able to start in-person activities again sometime soon. More - add link

Secretary - Vivian Beetle

Living abroad may create physical distance but it need not diminish our connection and involvement. This is what drives my commitment to Democrats Abroad. Working in concert with like-minded folks to address issues and determine leadership in the USA provides a concrete means to contribute from afar. More - add link

Treasurer - Jon Frost

I am running as Treasurer for Democrats Abroad Basel. 

I am a Washington state voter, born and raised in the Seattle area. My wife Elisa, our two kids (9 and 6) and I have lived in Basel since 2017. Before that we lived in Amsterdam for 8 years, and were part of Democrats Abroad in The Netherlands. More - add link

Contact [email protected] if you have any questions.

Faithfully submitted,
The Basel Chapter Nominations and Elections Committee
Jamie Donahoe and Carolyn Groff

Democrats Abroad Switzerland is very excited to announce our new email addresses. You can find the contact information for the Basel committee on this page and the national committees here.

Hello! Happy Saturday and Democrats Abroad Day!

This is the second annual DA Day, which celebrates all our members and what we do to excite and motivate voters around the world.

In honor of our day, we would like to introduce you to some of our leaders for the 2019-21 term!

You can learn more about all of our Basel leaders here and check out our national, Geneva, and Zurich leaders as well!

Photo © Cassie Tillas

Welcome to Democrats Abroad in Basel, Switzerland!

We are a diverse team of volunteers committed to helping Americans connect, vote, and engage with US politics in the greater Basel area. We hold a wide range of activities including voter registration, marches, discussion groups, phone banking, potlucks, and fundraisers.

If you are interested in participating, we have monthly business meetings as well as regular social events. To get started, join Democrats Abroad online and then come around in person to one of our events. We look forward to meeting you! And if you are an American citizen, don't forget to register to vote!

Check us out on Facebook as well, and please, get in touch if you have any questions.

Kristen Jafflin
DACH Basel Chair
[email protected]