The Labor Day Rally in Oslo has been postponed. More information at the end of this newsletter.

Let’s cut to the chase - today is Labor Day in the U.S., meaning it’s the official beginning of election campaign season. While there are only two states – New Jersey and Virginia – with statewide elections for both governor and state legislature, there are tens of thousands of other elections in virtually every state – for mayor, county executive, the judiciary (particularly the state Supreme Court in Pennsylvania), town councils, school boards etc. Also, there are federal elections to replace deceased or retiring members of Congress in Arizona, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Most eligible American citizens living in Norway and elsewhere abroad can vote in these off-year elections. Donald Trump’s March 25 executive order to require in-person registration and his threat to issue another banning mail-in ballots are both unconstitutional and will have no effect on these elections this November. However, unless we vote in these down-ballot elections on November 4, it will be much harder to win back the House and Senate in 2026 and the presidency in 2028, and to reclaim our democracy. 

So go to votefromabroad.org today to make sure you’re registered, can get your ballot, and can vote in these elections this year.  Click on Your State Rules, find your state in the drop down menu, click on it, then find "Am I Registered?" links towards the bottom of the page. If you need help, at the top of the page, click “Need help with voting?” You’ll get a link to Live Voter Help–ask a question or make an appointment to talk with a voter assistance expert. Do it NOW, so you know if you’re registered and have time to get your ballot and submit your vote, because registration and voting deadlines are fast approaching. Posten has confirmed that US Election mail can still be sent to the US.

DAN’s Town Hall meeting last Monday, 25 August, focused almost entirely on making sure members can and will vote in the November elections. You can get all the details in the slides below, that includes links to votefromabroad.org and to essential background information. See the Town Hall Slide Deck here.

For members who were unable to participate in the Town Hall online or in-person, we are also attaching this link to the video recording.

Christina Skovsgaard and Andy Stites’ tutorial on the voting process runs between minutes 35 and 65 of the video.

We also asked members who participated in the Town Hall what DAN can do, or do better, to help them. Among several recommendations was that DAN should offer expert DA-trained and certified personal voter assistance to help our members vote and we will begin doing that soon. We also heard that it would be helpful for us to create DAN membership groups by state so that those voting in Arizona, for instance, could rally the members to vote in the special election this Fall. If you are interested in starting a state team for your state, or becoming more involved in DAN in general, you can join our Slack group.  

Finally, something else DAN members can do to make our lives in Norway easier. The IRS is considering whether to continue its Direct File program — a free, government-run online tax filing tool. Direct File offers Americans a simple, secure, and no-cost way to file their taxes online, without having to pay for commercial tax-prep software or paying through the nose for a professional tax preparer. But Americans with a foreign residential address and foreign bank accounts can’t use Direct File. The IRS is now collecting public feedback about Direct File. Please fill out the survey here.

and tell the IRS it needs to make lives simpler for Americans abroad! The deadline for comments is Friday, September 5th.

Events:

The Labor Day rally in Oslo has been postponed due to heavy rains forecast. We are currently looking at dates towards the middle or end of September to get our fantastic speakers lined up again. Stay tuned to our Social Media channels for more information!

🍺 Pub night in Oslo will be held at Brygg (Storgata 7) on Weds. Sept. 10th at 19:00. Join us for a pint or two! We’re usually inside at the first table on the left with the donkey flag hanging nearby.

Fundraising:

DAN received a $300 grant for purchasing a PA system for our rallies and protests. We purchased a system that cost just under 9000 NOK and would be grateful for any donations to help DAN cover the difference. You can donate directly to DAN here.

Many thanks for your commitment! 

In hope, confidence and solidarity,

Erica Gibson, DAN chair

David Morse, DAN vice-chair