May will be a busy month. We have a lot going on in DAG, and so does our democratically controlled Congress. Thank you for voting. Without the #BlueWave, we would not have any ability to investigate the Trump Administration. If you haven't read the Mueller report, you can get a copy here. Take our poll on impeachment.
On May 4th from 1:30 to 3:30 pm, our Chair Candice Kerestan and Vice Chair Kenton Barnes will hold an online "Meet and Greet." They will discuss the structure and goals of our organization, volunteer opportunities and more. All DA Germany members are warmly invited to attend. A computer/tablet with an internet connection and a working microphone are necessary to participate actively. To receive the connection information, RSVP. See you on Saturday!
We're gearing up for 2020, and it takes a village to do all the things we need to do. Here are three opportunities to help:
- Take our Volunteer Survey. We are looking for volunteers in all areas.
- DA Germany is looking for members interested in heading our Black Caucus, LGBTQ+ Caucus, Progressive Caucus, and Youth Caucus. Find out more information.
- Do you have an idea? We're looking for suggestions on how we can connect with more Americans in Germany, 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.
There are local, state and federal elections in 2019. If you vote in Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, or Virginia, there are elections in 2019. Pennsylvania's 12th District and North Carolina's 3rd and 9th districts will have special elections for seats in the US House of Representatives. Please vote this year. Republicans win when we don’t vote!
Let's keep the Blue Wave going in an off year. Please vote it is still essential to gain Democratic seats in this year's elections. Even if you voted in 2018, submitting a new ballot request form in 2019 is required by most states.
Make a new ballot request for 2019 — send the form right away!
- Go to www.votefromabroad.org to complete the *Ballot Request form (FPCA).
- Follow the Instructions to attach your signature online—or—print out and sign the completed form.
- Send the signed FPCA to your election official. You may EMAIL, FAX or MAIL your FPCA to your Local Election Official.
Get more information on the 2019 elections.
| Election Dates | |
| May 21st | Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District Special Election |
| May 21st | Kentucky Primary |
| June 4th | New Jersey Primary |
| June 11th | Virginia Primary |
| Aug 6th | Mississippi Primary; August 27th Runoff |
| Sept 10th | North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District Special Election |
| Oct 12th | Louisiana Primary; November 16th Runoff |
| Nov 5th | General Election |
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Join us for the March for Science on Saturday, 4 May, in Bremen and Cologne. |
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On May 11th our running team “Running for Democracy” will compete in the Mannheim-Marathon in the Half-Marathon and 10K runs. Please consider sponsoring one or more of our runners. All funds raised from this run will go to the Democrats Abroad international. They provide many of the tools we use online including the phone banking system. In 2018, our phone baking efforts made the difference in some close races, so this is a way you can help make a difference in 2020. Sign up sponsor one or more of the runners. If you want to come out and support our team, the races begin at 5:00 pm by the Mannheim Wasserturm/Rosengarten. For more information, please contact Nancy Shimkat at heidelberg@democratsabroad.de. |
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The Wiesbaden/Mainz Chapter is going to the Luxembourg American Cemetery for their Memorial Day ceremony on Saturday, May 25th, 2019, at 2:00 pm. They will be joining the ceremony together with the DA Luxembourg Chapter. We want to arrange carpools for those in Germany to get there. If you're interested in attending, RSVP soon to allow enough time to organize carpool groups. Everyone is welcome. Attendance is free and open to the public. |
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Save the date: Cologne’s Christopher Street Day (CSD) celebration taking place in downtown Cologne from Friday, July 5th to Sunday, July 7th, 2019. As in past years, Democrats Abroad is planning on setting up an info-stand Friday-Sunday and taking part in the parade on Sunday. We gladly welcome volunteers for both! If you're interested in helping with the planning, please contact us! |
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Until July 1st, tickets for the 11th Annual DA Oktoberfest Extravaganza are only 65 euros. Starting on July 1st, ticket prices will increase to 75 euros. Don't miss out on the fun or the discount-priced tickets, RSVP today! |
From monthly meetings to book clubs to pub nights and phone banking parties, there's plenty of activities happening throughout the country in May and beyond. For a complete overview, be sure to bookmark and regularly check out our event page.
- Read our statement on 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary Candidates.
- Ann Hesse, Global Women's Caucus Chair and former DAG Stuttgart Chapter Chair, is profiled this month. She talks about her life and her activism. Read her story.
- DA Speaker Series: Blue Institute (Building Leaders and Uplifting the Electorate), May 2nd, 8:30 to 9:30 pm: Join DA as we speak with the Blue Institute’s Principal, Ashley Robinson, and Chief Operating Officer, Genny Castillo, in a voter protection webinar and Q&A. RSVP to receive the connection information and attend the webinar.
- The Global Women’s Caucus Books Abroad international feminist reading group will meet to discuss Kate Chopin’s The Awakening on Sunday, June 9th at 1:30 pm. The meeting will take place online using our conference software WebEx. Get more information on the book, the event, and RSVP.
- ERA Update: We need one more state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment for it to become part of the U.S. Constitution. Click here for a detailed status by state. On April 30th the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the Equal Rights Amendment. Find out more about the ERA or what you can do to help.
- Democrats Abroad will hold our 2019 Global Meeting from May 17th-19th in Washington, D.C. We will be welcoming members from around the world as we work to prepare for Primary and General Elections in 2020. Over three days, we will attend to the regular business of the organization, discuss charter amendments and resolutions, run training sessions with local experts and Democrats Abroad field volunteers, and hold our biennial DPCA executive committee elections. Also, there will be regional meetings to elect Regional Vice Chairs and conduct other business. Following the meetings, we will hold our Democrats Abroad "door-knock" on May 20th and 21st where we'll sit down with representatives, senators, and officials from other relevant US federal government agencies. We'll update you on the outcomes of the meeting in our June newsletter.
Follow Democrats Abroad Germany on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram!
DAG is a self-sustaining, 100% volunteer organization. Thank you to all our sustaining members -- your donations are vital. Without you, our mission would be a lot more difficult.
In 2020, we must defeat Donald Trump! If you are not currently a sustaining member, please consider becoming one. In 2016, we calculated that each Euro spent resulted in 3 new members/voters and in 2020 every vote will be necessary. A donation of €5 per month or more will make a big difference for us. If you are interested in donating, either one time, monthly, or quarterly, please find our bank information below. To make it a recurring donation, you would do a “Dauerauftrag." The suggested recurring donation amount is €5, but higher amounts are gladly accepted.
Account name: Democrats Abroad Germany
IBAN: DE04 5405 0220 0140 2702 99
BIC: MALADE51KLK
In closing, we need to envision a better and more equitable future. To help with that, watch "A Message From the Future With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez." She answers the questions, What if we pulled off a Green New Deal? What would the future look like?
Thanks for reading,
DA Germany
https://www.democratsabroad.org/de