“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time.” Barack Obama, 2008.
Those who fought for change generations ago knew this truth. We know it now. Working for change is our North Star, the reason Democrats Abroad volunteers do the work we do.
In 2018, we worked for change - helping half* of all civilians who voted abroad request and send in their ballots for the midterm election through our online voter tool, help desk and volunteer support. We're already working for change in 2020 too, organizing across our countries, getting ready for the primaries and for the general election in November.
I’m tremendously proud of our grassroots, small donor organization and of all the volunteers who work with me around the world making change happen.
The votes we help send back to the States create ripples across every congressional district, and in every state legislature as well.
Last year, 1 in 25 elections across the nation were won by a margin of 1% or less. Votes from abroad often made up that 1%. In Florida alone our votes helped flip several state legislature races and were the winning margin in the only state-wide race won by Democrats.
Imagine what we can do next year. Then act. Because we must.
This Fourth of July, as we celebrate with our families and friends, we think of other families, other folk who are not able to celebrate democracy, or freedom from tyranny. And we are reminded once again that we cannot wait. As President Obama concluded in his 2008 speech, “We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
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Thank you for your actions. Thank you for your support, and happy Fourth of July!
- Julia Bryan, Global Chair, Democrats Abroad
*The Election Assistance Commission 2018 Survey notes that approximately 220,775 civilian voters abroad returned their ballots in 2018.