An a woman who was born in 1965, it is incredible to me that the Equal Right Amendment is still not in the Constitution! I've had the luxury of standing on the shoulders of the women in the generations before me to have access to the same educational opportunities as my brothers, to go to university and law school, and to have a career as an attorney. And as a married woman with children, I have the peace of mind of knowing that I am in control of my own destiny and those of my children, and not dependent, either legally or financially, solely on my partner. All women in the US must be assured of these same rights! It is a travesty that it has taken so long for this basic right to be recognized and for there to be any further delay in adding the ERA to the Constitution. I live in Canada and vote in California.

Support the Bill for All New Jersey Overseas Voters to Vote in State Elections

Democrats Abroad has gotten out the vote for every state in the nation, but this year most of our major battles are for state-level voting rights, particularly in New Jersey! Depending on what they fill out on their absentee ballot request, many overseas voters in New Jersey don't have the right to vote in state elections! They used to have it, before Chris Christie pushed through a change in the law in 2017.

This needs to change. Overseas voters are stakeholders in New Jersey government. Issues like climate change and net neutrality affect us everywhere. New Jerseyan overseas voters deserve a voice at all levels of government, and Assemblywoman Joann Downey has introduced a bill, NJ A5306, to change that law back and enfranchise voters once again.

Please help us to get this bill passed! If the New Jersey Legislature approves the bill, overseas voters will be able to vote in the New Jersey state and local elections on November 2nd, 2021.

**Update May 6: Your calls and emails are working--we have added more cosponsors to the bill this week!**

Please call Speaker Coughlin's Office and ask him to put NJ A5306 on the voting schedule for the Assembly!

Also call Assemblyman Mazzeo, State & Local Gov't Committee Chair, and your 2 NJ Assembly Reps! Ask them to co-sponsor the bill!

Find Them Here:

Talking Points/Script:

• Hi my name is --------    
  
  
• I am a New Jersey voter, voting in ---------- County, and I currently live in [Current Country]   
  
  
• I live overseas but I regularly vote by absentee ballot.    
  
  
• (If asked for an address) Would you like my voting address?    
  
  
• IF CALLING SPEAKER COUGHLIN: I am calling to ask Speaker Coughlin to support Assembly bill A5306 and put it on the Assembly schedule.
  
  
• IF CALLING YOUR ASSEMBLY REP: I am calling to ask Assemblyperson ---------- to support and co-sponsor Assembly bill A5306.

• The bill allows overseas voters to vote in state elections even if there is uncertainty regarding their return. Many overseas voters check the box on their absentee ballot request, “return uncertain,” without knowing that they will lose their voting rights in New Jersey state and local elections by doing that. Whether US citizens have plans to return to New Jersey or not we are stake holders in state government on many issues such as Climate Change, Net Neutrality, and of course, our voting rights.
  
  
• We do have some protection under federal law, but, like most things, much is left up to the state. We formerly had the right to do so in 2017 and are looking to restore this voting right.     
  
  
• The majority of states in our country believe that our voting rights should be taken with us when we move abroad. NJ is one of the small handful of states that denies us the right to vote, even though we are US citizens and have a stake in state government.      
  
  
• Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you for supporting voting rights for ALL New Jersey voters! If you have any questions, please email us at: [email protected]

And don't forget to request your ballot for 2021--just to go www.votefromabroad.org, click Start and follow the prompts to fill out and submit your Ballot Request form.

If you would like to make a donation, please click here!

Interested in helping Democrats Jon Ossoff and Rev Raphael Warnock win election to the US Senate--and help Democrats gain control of the Senate?

Click on this link for Volunteer Opportunities

Have you tried to access your state’s voter information pages, only to be met with a “Page Not Found” error message? You’re not alone! Some states are “geo-blocking” web traffic from outside the USA, which means access to voter registration, ballot status and other critical information will be denied if you’re using a foreign IP address. 

The solution: Use a VPN

These “firewalls”, intended to improve website security, are keeping U.S. citizens living abroad from accessing critical voter information. You can safely (and legally!) get around this by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). A VPN works by routing your device's internet connection through a private server rather than your internet service provider (ISP), so that when your data is transmitted to the internet, it comes from the “location” of the VPN rather than your computer. In this case, you’ll want to use a VPN located in the U.S. to access these blocked pages.

Ballots are available now for the Democrats Abroad Global Presidential Primary(GPP)! Democrats Abroad will send  delegates to the Democratic National Convention in July to vote for the Democratic presidential nominee. As with your state’s primary, the GPP will determine how the Democrats Abroad delegates will vote at the Convention.

Voting in the DA Primary can give your vote more weight, up to 4 times the impact, as there are far fewer DA members than state voters. While tens of thousands of people will participate in the GPP this year, millions will vote in their home state. That means a vote in the GPP may be more powerful than a vote in your state’s presidential primary.

On Feb 18th, Democrats Abroad sent out an email with a link to your GPP ballot, including instructions for sending it back in, either by email, fax, or postal mail. If you don’t see it, please check your Spam folder. Or go to www.democratsabroad.org/primary and follow the instructions to download and submit a ballot.

Here's how to send in your DA Primary ballot:

1.  If returning by Email: send to: [email protected]
   Your ballot must be received by midnight, Pacific Time, on March 10th, 2020
   
   
2.  If returning by Fax, send to: +1 202 217-4277
   Your ballot must be received by March 10th, 2020
   
   
3.  If returning by Mail, use this link to find the postal mail address for your country committee
   Your ballot must be received by March 11th, 2020.

All DA members may participate in Democrats Abroad’s Global Presidential Primary and also in your state’s primary election. BUT there’s one major rule: you can only vote in one Presidential Primary, either Democrats Abroad’s Global Presidential Primary or your home state’s presidential primary.

1. If you choose to vote in DA’s primary (for the Democratic presidential nominee), then you can still vote in your state’s primary--but you can’t vote for the presidential nominee again! Instead, you may vote only for the remaining offices on your state’s primary ballot (such as, US Senate, US House and any state and local offices on your ballot).
   

2. If you decide not to vote in DA’s primary, then you may still vote in your state’s primary election and vote for your choice for the presidential nominee at that time.
   
   *But please note: If you’re interested in running for a Democrats Abroad delegate position to the Democratic National Convention in July, you don’t have to vote in the GPP, but you must attest that you did not vote in any other state primary for the Democratic nominee for President.

The U.S. Consulate General Vancouver will host a traveling “Pop-Up Consulate” for American Citizens Services at the Central Branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library on Thursday November 14th from 9 am to 12 pm.

Consulate staff at the venue will accept passport and Consular Report of Birth Abroad applications and provide notarial services. Please note that all services require an appointment and a fee.

**Email [email protected] by Wednesday November 13th, for appointments and questions.

DATE: Thursday, November 14, 2019

TIME: 9 am - 12 pm

LOCATION: Victoria Library, Central Branch: 735 Broughton St [MAP]

PARKING: Available in Broughton St Parkade (under Library)

To receive updates for future Pop-up Consulates and other Consulate information, be sure to follow the US Consulate's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/USConsulateVancouver

VICE CHAIR -

SECRETARY -

1) Diana Keto-Lambert: I am a proud native of the DC/Maryland metro area and a North Carolina voter; I moved to Canada in 2007. While I was living stateside, I was a member of College Democrats at University of Maryland, and volunteered on Chris Van Hollen’s 2002 congressional race, John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, and Martin O’Malley’s 2006 gubernatorial campaign. I joined Democrats Abroad Edmonton when I discovered them in 2008, and I helped the chapter with communications outreach for Barack Obama’s campaign. I became chapter chair from 2011 – 2014 and a member-at-large since then, helping with planning and executing meetings, GOTV efforts, and social get-togethers for our chapter. Most recently, I helped work the polls in the 2018 midterm elections when visiting North Carolina.

TREASURER -

1) Diana Keto-Lambert: I am a proud native of the DC/Maryland metro area and a North Carolina voter; I moved to Canada in 2007. While I was living stateside, I was a member of College Democrats at University of Maryland, and volunteered on Chris Van Hollen’s 2002 congressional race, John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, and Martin O’Malley’s 2006 gubernatorial campaign. I joined Democrats Abroad Edmonton when I discovered them in 2008, and I helped the chapter with communications outreach for Barack Obama’s campaign. I became chapter chair from 2011 – 2014 and a member-at-large since then, helping with planning and executing meetings, GOTV efforts, and social get-togethers for our chapter. Most recently, I helped work the polls in the 2018 midterm elections when visiting North Carolina.

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY -

1) Hannah Brooks: I'm originally from Nashville, TN and I moved to Canada in 2015. In the US I actually didn't participate in politics much, that is until I lost my health insurance due to a pre-existing condition. That galvanized me to become active in the Democratic party. Right when I arrived in Edmonton, it became clear that Trump was going to win the Republican nomination. In response, I quickly decided to become active in the Democratic Party here in Edmonton. I helped coordinate voter outreach during the 2016 elections and have been the unofficial chair since 2018 midterm elections. If elected, I pledge to fulfill the duties of Membership Secretary as effectively as possible until my term is over in March 2021.

• Sends event invitations and updates to DAV members, using the DA Nation Builder online email system
• Updates and maintains the DAED Facebook page
• Updates the DAED events web page in Nation Builder

1) Kimberly Johnson: After moving to Edmonton from Southern California, I joined Democrats Abroad in 2000. Upon completion of my undergraduate and graduate degrees in Canada, I lived abroad in England and the Netherlands. When I returned to Edmonton, deeply concerned about the current administration, I resolved to be a more involved Democrats Abroad member. In 2018, I was primarily responsible for communications & media relations—writing press releases, coordinating media requests and appearing as the DA Edmonton spokesperson in print and televised interviews. I also created our new Instagram account to connect our chapter to the local community and other DA chapters internationally. During the fall of 2018, I conceptualized, planned and successfully executed our “Print Your Own T-shirt” fundraiser and "Sanity Session" pub social nights. Additionally, I helped plan and facilitate our GOTV (Get Out The Vote) events on the University of Alberta campus and at the Alberta Legislature. I take great pride in the work that our chapter team accomplished leading up to the historic 2018 midterm elections. If elected as your Communications Officer & your Student Recruitment Outreach Coordinator, I will be dedicated to continuing our work, organizing our efforts and building community momentum as we approach another historic election in 2020.

STUDENT OUTREACH COORDINATOR -

Democrats Abroad Edmonton will be holding its 2019 Annual General Meeting and Election of Officers:

TIME:  2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Please RSVP by email to:  [email protected]

Due to the longest U.S. Government shutdown in history, the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver has cancelled the "Pop-Up" Consulate scheduled for January 17, 2019 in Victoria, BC. 

If you had, or need, an appointment with the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver, please contact the American Citizens Services Unit after funding has resumed for more information. The email address is: [email protected] or the phone number 1-604-685-4311 ext. 340. Or visit their website at https://ca.usembassy.gov

Please join the Democrats Abroad Victoria and the Islands Chapter as we march in support of women! Let's help pass the ERA, raise consciousness to stop violence against women, and vote in one of the most important elections of our lifetimes!

DATE:  Saturday, January 19th

TIME:  11:00am to 12:30pm

PLACE:  BC Legislature, 501 Belleville St [MAP]

*Meet at the statute on the corner of Belleville and Government Sts--you'll see us holding DA and VoteFromAbroad signs.

For more information about Women's March Canada - Victoria Chapter, please see their website at: www.womensmarchcanada.com/victoria

The US Consulate in Vancouver will be coming to Prince Rupert to host a "Pop-Up Consulate" for U.S. Citizens.

When: Friday, March 23rd

Where: Jim Ciccone Civic Centre, Training Room 

Address: 1000 McBride Street  MAP

Time: 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/events/155720081755716/

For appointments, please call: 1-604-685-4311 x340

Consulate staff will be accepting passport applications, passport renewals, applications for "Consular Report of Birth Abroad" and providing notary services. An appointment is required and there are fees for these services.

To make an appointment, please call American Citizen Services at: 1-604-685-4311 x340. 

If you have any questions about the US Pop-Consulate, please email the US Consulate in Vancouver at: [email protected]

The US Consulate General in Vancouver will be returning to Victoria to host two "Pop-Up Consulates" for US citizens:

Consulate staff will be accepting passport applications, passport renewals, "Consular Report of Birth Abroad" applications and notary services. An appointment is required and there are fees for these services.

Appointments must be made by calling: American Citizenship Services 604-685-4311 ext. 340
If you have any questions about either Pop-Up Consulate, please email the US Consulate in Vancouver at: [email protected]

* * * * * * *

DA Victoria will be hosting Voter Registration events at the same time as the Pop-Up Consulates. We'll be helping US citizens register to vote and to request their ballots for the 2018 Midterm Elections. Every overseas voter may vote in the upcoming elections! But overseas voters need to send in the form to request a ballot every calendar year in which they wish to vote. Voter registration is always nonpartisan; we provide voter registration support to every US citizen who requests help.

If you'd like to volunteer to help with DA Victoria's voter registration events, please email us at: [email protected]

Know other US citizens living in the area? The Pop-Up Consulate and the voter registration help is available for all US citizens, so please pass this information on to any other US citizens you know.

Click below to receive periodic updates from the Taxation Task Force on our tax advocacy work.  We will message you when there are important updates and developments to report.

DA Victoria now has it's very own Facebook page! Pease check it out to see news and events specifically for US citizens living in Victoria,  Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

DA Victoria Facebook Page

The US Consulate General in Vancouver will be returning to Victoria to host a "Pop-Up Consulate" for US citizens.

Consulate staff will be accepting passport and "Consular Report of Birth Abroad" applications as well as providing notary services. An appointment is required and there are fees for these services.

If you need any of these services or have any questions, be sure to make an appointment by Thursday, September 14. To make an appointment, email the Consulate at: [email protected]

This service is available for all US citizens, so please pass this information on to any other US citizens you know living in the area.