The email address provided for the 2021 Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC) was incorrect in the February Newsletter & Call for Nominations email. All correspondence to the NEC, including nominations, should be sent to the following email address:  [email protected]

We apologize for any inconvenience!

2021 Nominations and Elections Committee

Call for Nominations:  Democrats Abroad Austria Executive Committee Elections 2021

The 2021-23 Executive Committee will be elected at this year’s Annual General Meeting on March 21, 2021. Due to Covid-related restrictions, all voting will be conducted electronically or by mail.

The 2021 Nominating and Elections Committee (NEC) is seeking qualified candidates for the following positions:

•  Chair
•  Vice-Chair
•  Treasurer
•  Secretary
•  Counsel
•  DPCA Voting Representative
•  Up to six Members-at-Large positions -- In the past, Member-at-Large responsibilities have included: Province Coordinators, Database Manager, Media Contact, Social Media and Communication, and Membership Engagement. 

A description of these offices’ responsibilities can be found in the DAA’s Bylaws on the Executive Committee here.

If you are interested in running for any of these positions or would like to nominate someone, please send your name or that of the nominee and a short bio/candidate statement to the NEC at [email protected] by March 4, 2021. All nominations must be seconded via email to the NEC by the March 4 deadline. Information about candidates and their platforms will be published in the March issue of the DAA Newsletter. In addition, candidates are encouraged to attend upcoming meeting/s of the Executive Committee to learn more about the work of the group. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Key Dates

• February 4: Call for nominations
• March 4: Nominations close
• NLT March 7:  Ballots will be sent electronically to all DAA members and will be available on the DAA website.
• March 20:  Early voting ends at 23:59
• March 21:  Elections are held at the Annual General Meeting.  Early votes and those cast during the AGM will be tallied, and the NEC will announce the results.

You can read the full DAA Bylaws (Article 8 covers Elections and Nominations) here, and the DAA 2021 Election Rules here.

Our victories in 2020 were a direct result of the actions of committed Democrats around the globe.  Please consider how you might contribute to the Party’s future success as part of the DAA leadership team. If you have any questions, please contact the NEC at [email protected].   

— Susan Ball (Chair), Nathan Fowler, Amanda Grossman, and Antje Lewis,

2021 Nominations and Elections Committee

In this Newsletter —

Events:

• Black History Month Marathon
• AAPI & Black Caucus: Film Screening & Discussion
• ProDA: Biden-Harris Progress Report #1
• Black Caucus: 3rd Annual Open Mic Night
• Solidarity Sundays: GOP and the Armed Right
• Annual General Meeting & Officer Elections

Issues & Actions:

• AGM Announcement
• Amendments to the Bylaws
• Election Announcement & Deadlines

Reviews:

• Inauguration Night Watch Party
• Solidarity Sundays

Having trouble viewing this email? You can read the newsletter online.

Our Executive Committee meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. Our next meeting will be held online on: Wednesday, February 10, 2021, at 7 p.m. Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Jennifer at [email protected] to join.

DAA is making a strong effort to include in our monthly newsletter all the information you need to stay up to date. By sending you fewer emails, we hope you will read those you receive. Thanks for reading!

Events:

Issues & Actions:

2021 Annual General Meeting and Officer Elections

DA Austria’s Annual General Meeting will be held online on Sunday, March 21, 2021 at 3 p.m. All DAA members are welcome to participate in the elections and join the meeting. We especially hope to see many of our members who live outside of Vienna and may not normally attend the AGM! Any American 18 or older by the next federal election and residing in Austria may also join the meeting and vote.

Come for business –

Special guest DA Global Chair Julia Bryan will give her expert insights into the fantastic work that was accomplished by Democrats Abroad members around the world in the 2020 and Georgia runoff elections. She’ll also talk to us about DA’s outreach with our representatives in DC in order to inform them on the issues that matter most to all Americans who live abroad.

At the meeting we'll present brief reports on 2020, discuss plans for the upcoming year, and conduct a vote on amendments to the DAA Bylaws (see changes below). There will also be an Elections Meeting to elect an Executive Committee for the 2021-2023 term (see article).

Join us for a wine-tasting –

DA Austria is required by our By-Laws to hold an Annual General Meeting prior to March 31 of each year. We also have a quorum requirement to make the meeting valid. Please help us meet these challenges by joining us in our online AGM!

As a thank you for your loyalty and help through this difficult period, AGM attendees will be able to attend a wine-tasting fundraiser with Seymann's Winery for free! We'll set the date just as soon as restrictions are lifted.

Your participation, activism, and donations have made Democrats Abroad Austria a strong and vital organization for more than eighteen years. In 2021, we’ll continue working to strengthen the voice and vote of all our members.

Please RSVP for the meeting on our events page at democratsabroad.org/at_events You will receive a confirmation email with the meeting link.

Thank you for your support,

– DA Austria Executive Committee

Amendments to the Bylaws

At the Annual General Meeting, the DA Austria Bylaws Committee will submit amendments to DA Austria’s Bylaws for a vote by the membership. Recent changes in the DPCA Charter, compliance with Austrian association statute requirements, and enhanced clarity motivated the committee’s proposed amendments.

The proposed amendments intend to accomplish the following:

• Establish more effective notification deadlines for members affected by Removal of Membership provisions (See 3.9 and 9.1)
• Clarify terms, including:
  • 4.1 Members of the Executive Committee
  • 4.3 Meetings of the Membership
• Expand scope of membership review for DA-AT documents (see 4.5 and 4.6)
• Specify provision for DPCA voting representative exemption from term limits (see 4.11)
• Clarify and expand election procedures in view of increased remote participation (see 8.2) & gender balancing requirements
• Introduce provision for membership confirmation of Executive Committee office-holder replacement in cases of resignation, etc. (see 9.4 and 9.5).

Proposed changes to the document can be seen here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N9QT0oBpMKD6hYT21KueiQNw3HNYrflB/view?usp=sharing

— Brett Carnito, Marcy Fowler, Bruce Murray, and Jennifer Rakow-Stepper, DAA ByLaws Committee

Call For Nominations: Democrats Abroad Austria Executive Committee Elections 2021

The 2021-23 Executive Committee will be elected at this year’s Annual General Meeting on March 21, 2021. Due to Covid-related restrictions, all voting will be conducted electronically or by mail.

The 2021 Nominating and Elections Committee (NEC) is seeking qualified candidates for the following positions:

• Chair
• Vice-Chair
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Counsel
• DPCA Voting Representative
• Up to six Members-at-Large positions -- In the past, Member-at-Large responsibilities have included: Province Coordinators, Database Manager, Media Contact, Social Media and Communication, and Membership Engagement.

A description of these offices’ responsibilities can be found in the DAA’s Bylaws on the Executive Committee here.

If you are interested in running for any of these positions or would like to nominate someone, please send your name or that of the nominee and a short bio/candidate statement to the NEC at [email protected] by March 4, 2021. All nominations must be seconded via email to the NEC by the March 4 deadline. Information about candidates and their platforms will be published in the March issue of the DAA Newsletter. In addition, candidates are encouraged to attend upcoming meeting/s of the Executive Committee to learn more about the work of the group. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Key Dates

• February 4: Call for nominations
• March 4: Nominations close
• NLT March 7: Ballots will be sent electronically to all DAA members and will be available on the DAA website.
• March 20: Early voting ends at 23:59
• March 21: Elections are held at the Annual General Meeting. Early votes and those cast during the AGM will be tallied, and the NEC will announce the results.

You can read the full DAA Bylaws (Article 8 covers Elections and Nominations) here, and the DAA 2021 Election Rules here.

Our victories in 2020 were a direct result of the actions of committed Democrats around the globe. Please consider how you might contribute to the Party’s future success as part of the DAA leadership team. If you have any questions, please contact the NEC at [email protected].

— Susan Ball (Chair), Nathan Fowler, Amanda Grossman, and Antje Lewis, 2021 Nominations and Elections Committee

Reviews:

Inauguration Night Watch Party

DA Austria members and others from around the world gathered online on January 20, 2021 to witness the swearing in of our 46th President, Joe Biden, and the first female Vice President, Kamala Harris. Many thanks to Marcy and Nathan Fowler who moderated; Liberradio performers, Stefanie Don and Diego Heatherman; Liberal Libations mixologists, Kate McGrath and Keith Jacomine; and everyone who attended. Now the real work begins!

—Jennifer Rakow-Stepper, DA Austria Chair

Solidarity Sundays: Can We Talk?

Trump is out of office and off Twitter, but the Capitol attack reminded us how radicalized many fellow citizens have become. How can we talk with friends and family in the thrall of conspiracy theories and fake news?

Ingrid Brodnig, prize-winning Austrian journalist and author, told us there are evidence-based skills we can learn. Her latest book* shared methods to put facts in the foreground of your argument. Among her tips:

• Don't argue facts — that entrenches their view. Focus on the logic behind their claims.
• Repetition makes information stick, so don't repeat the lie. Do repeat facts — over and over. Repetition is a powerful rhetorical tool.
• It's hard to change someone’s view. Better: leave them with a little bit of doubt.

Ingrid generously stayed on to answer many questions. Her clear-eyed message: there's no instant kumbaya, but with practice, we can correct misinformation and get people to open their closed thinking.

*Einspruch! Verschwörungsmythen und Fake News kontern — in der Familie, im Freundeskreis und online, Christian Brandstätter Verlag (Jan 2021)

Have a contact in publishing? We‘d love to help her book get printed in English so non-German readers can access it. Email: [email protected]

— Tanya Lolonis, Solidarity Sundays Co-Coordinator

Thank you for reading February’s newsletter!

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In This Issue —

New Year’s Greeting

Events:

• Americans Abroad and the $600 Economic Impact Payment
• DA Global Black Caucus: MLK Film Night
• DA Austria Biden/Harris Inauguration Watch Party
• DA Global Women's Caucus: Inauguration Celebration
• Solidarity Sundays: Americans Divided
• DA Austria Annual General Meeting

Issues & Actions:

• Looking Forward
• Save the Date! Annual General Meeting & Elections
• Open Volunteer Positions
• Fixing Democracy Project by Solidarity Sundays

Reviews:

• Punching for Democracy

Our Executive Committee meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. Our next meeting will be held online on: Wednesday, January 13, 2020, at 7 p.m. Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Jennifer at [email protected] to join.

DAA is making a strong effort to include in our monthly newsletter all the information you need to stay up to date in order to avoid the flood of emails that occurs in an election year. By sending you fewer emails, we hope you will read those you receive. Thanks for reading!

New Year’s Greeting —

You did it!

Going into 2020, none of us could have imagined the pandemic that lay around the corner and just how challenging it would be to help people vote in 2020.

But, with the two Georgia Senate seats going blue on 5 November, we did it — together!

Whether online, on the phone, with postcards, at voter help tables, or ads in Metropole Magazine — thanks to you, your countless volunteer hours, your generous donations, and, most importantly, your vote, DA Austria pulled off record-breaking voter returns. Toi toi!

After last week’s seditious attack on the US Capitol building and an attempt to overturn a free and fair election, it is all too clear that the challenges that lay ahead have not diminished and will require all of our continued efforts. As Vice President-elect Kamala Harris said in her acceptance speech on November 7, “Now is when the real work begins. The hard work. The necessary work. The good work.” Four democracy-threatening years are just a few days from being behind us. Now, we’ll not only need to address the critical issues before us but also repair the gaping holes in our democracy and civil society.

This new year, I’m looking forward to brighter days when the Experienced Dems will once again meet for wine and the Progressive Dems for pizza; Solidarity Sundays will be working to fix our democracy, and we’ll all be able to celebrate Thanksgiving again—together. In the meantime, I hope you will join us online on Tuesday, January 20 as we watch the 46th President of the United States and a history making Vice President be sworn into office.

Until we can meet again in person and in the name of the entire Executive Committee, DA Austria wishes you health and happiness in 2021!

Democratically Yours,

Jennifer Rakow-Stepper, DA Austria Chair

Events:

About the Inauguration Watch Party —

We’ll not only be watching and discussing the events in Washington, DC, but we’ll also feature a few special guests and other activities. If you missed the Election Night party, you’ll definitely want to tune into the LIberadio Show out of Vorarlberg. Stephanie and Diego are our hosts and will spin a few tunes as we try to answer their Inaugural quiz questions for DAA swag. We’ll also be joined again by former DAA Chair Keith and mixology partner Kate as they mix up some Liberal Libations for us to enjoy (see the ingredients below).

So grab your martini glass and patriotic paraphernalia as we celebrate a Democratic victory in the House, Senate and White House!

Liberal Libations:

Will be mixing The President and The Kamala Harris Victory Cup for us. We’ll be mixing our victory cocktails together.

Be sure to have on hand:

Issues & Actions:

Looking Forward

The silver lining in moving online is that many of our members across Austria and Europe have been able to come to our events, and we’ve been able to join their’s. I hope many of you will take the opportunity to attend the Global Black Caucus for a film night and discussion on Martin Luther King holiday or the Global Women’s Caucus for an Inaugural Celebration and plan to keep volunteers engaged. And, for those of you hoping to get a stimulus check, Nathalie Goldstein from My Expat Taxes will be answering your questions on January 13.

For more information and to RSVP for all these events, click the links in Events above.

Save the Date!
Annual General Meeting & Executive Committee Elections

Fresh voices, energy, and ideas — save the date! On March 21, 2021 DA Austria members will meet online for our Annual General Meeting and to elect a new Executive Committee. More information about the meeting and how you can run will be posted in February’s newsletter, but we wanted to make sure you add this important date to your calendar!

Youth Caucus Coordinator Position Open

If you or someone you know is interested in building your resume and being a key component of DA Austria’s youth outreach, please contact me at: [email protected]

–Jennifer Rakow-Stepper, Chair DA Austria

Fixing Democracy Project

We’re turning Trump out of the White House, but that’s only the first step. America’s democracy has been hijacked, and we need to get it back. Throughout 2021, our Fixing Democracy Project looks at one democratic institution a month. We‘ll examine why it‘s not working and inspect solutions.

Our year-long series starts on January 31 at 4 p.m. with Solidarity Sundays 39: Americans Divided and a look at our troubling political divide: Who voted for Trump? Why? And how do we interact with them? Or not?

Many of us want to initiate conversations with Republicans to cultivate solidarity. We‘ll explore ideas, and share tips and resources for conducting difficult conversations on your own.

Check out the 2021 agenda for the Fixing Democracy Project — what do you want to work on? https://www.facebook.com/solsunvienna/guides/?view_public_for=2248595575364902&ref=page_internal

—Tanya Lolonis, Solidarity Sundays Vienna Co-Founder

Reviews:

ProDA “Progressive Punch”

On December 6th, a dozen progressive “punchers” convened via Zoom to discuss president-elect Biden’s developing cabinet and agenda for the presidency’s first 100 days and beyond. These were our central questions:

• How might the Georgia run-off elections influence the developing team and its agenda?
• How will the administration respond to the coronavirus health and economic crises?
• What steps will it take to combat climate change quickly and effectively?
• What can we do to influence the decisions?

We enjoyed our favorite holiday punch, heard talking-point reports from ProDA Austria members, discussed in small-group break-out rooms, then held a joint discussion of what we expect. Finally, we considered action options to ensure our expectations are met. Please look for an invitation to our January event soon!

– Bruce Murray, ProDA Leader

Thank you for reading January’s newsletter!

In this Issue:

Events:

• Progressive Caucus
• Solidarity Sundays — will be back in January 2021!

Issues & Actions:

• DA Austria’s Super Volunteers
• Georgia on Our Mind
• Post-Election Round Up
• DA’s Phonebanking Campaign
• Youth Caucus Coordinator Position Open
• Democratic Holiday Gifts

Reviews:

• Solidarity Sundays

Our Executive Committee meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. Our next meeting will be held online on: Wednesday, December 9, 2020, at 7 p.m. Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Jennifer at [email protected] to join.

DAA is making a strong effort to include in our monthly newsletter all the information you need to stay up to date in order to avoid the flood of emails that occurs in an election year. By sending you fewer emails, we hope you will read those you receive. Thanks for reading!

Events:

Issues & Actions:

DA Austria’s Super Volunteers

Every election cycle has a few super volunteers who go to extraordinary efforts to help get out the vote by calling members, registering new voters at schools and universities, and assisting people with their ballots. This last election was extraordinary in many ways, including the number of dedicated volunteers who, since January, have dedicated tens of hours and made thousands of calls and helped hundreds of people at in-person voter events. Because of them, 80% of DA Austria membership engaged with our VoteFromAbroad.org website and turned out to vote. Thank you to all our volunteers and especially the super volunteers!

Top callers: S. Ball, A. Beckman, R. Franks, D. Heatherman, R. Miller, B. Murray, Y. Richard, M. Rosenberg, W. Rosenzweig, J. Schechner, M. Wagner. Voter Help Tables: L. Davidson, S. Don, D. Englund, E. France, A. Grossman, M. Kollert, S. Kulnigg, T. Lolonis, R. Miller, P. Milstein, H. Monihan, R. Saul Ganev, L. Tuttle-Weidinger, M. Wagner. Get Out the Vote Video: S. Dahmen, F. Hall-Herbold, E. Stolyarov.

–Jen Rakow-Stepper, Chair DA Austria

Georgia On Our Mind

Georgia voters, your vote is powerful and will determine Biden's presidency!

Federal elections were held for both of Georgia’s US Senate seats on November 3, 2020. Both of these races are going to "runoff elections" as no candidate received at least 50% of the vote. Democrats need to win both of these seats to have a 50/50 Senate with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris able to cast the tie-breaking vote.

The two races are:

• US Senate: Jon Ossoff (Democrat) versus David Perdue (Republican)
• US Senate Special: Raphael Warnock (Democrat) versus Kelly Loeffler (Republican)

Help get out the word! Please go to DA Austria’s Facebook page and share our Georgia posts in your groups and networks.

The diplomatic pouch will be available. Please drop off you ballot at the US Consulate, Parkring 12A, 1010 Vienna by 4pm, December 7, 2020.

For detailed information on how to register and return your ballot go to: https://www.democratsabroad.org/jenniferrakowstepper/georgia_us_senate_election_jan_5_2021

Have questions? Need help? Go to one of the online forums for Georgia Voter Assistance: https://www.democratsabroad.org/at_events

–Jen Rakow-Stepper, Chair DA Austria

We did it!

Joe Biden will be the 46th President of the United States of America!! He has won the popular vote with 80.1 million votes and counting, the most votes ever received by any candidate in US history. Senator Kamala Harris will become the first woman and person of color to hold the Vice-President's office, "but won't be the last." The voter turnout in 2020 is projected to reach 158 million votes, or 66.8%, 20 million more than 2016. The 2020 election will go down in history as the highest voter turnout in over a century.

I want to take a moment to thank all of our members and volunteers who contributed to the Democrats Abroad election efforts this Presidential cycle. This colossal victory doesn't come without enormous effort from activities like each of you, who made calls in Austria and all around the globe, sent texts, wrote postcards, donated your euros, and spoke with your friends and family time and again about the importance of this election. Democrats Abroad was the margin of victory in flipping key electoral college states such as Georgia and Arizona and holding the blue wall in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

Not every fight this year was a victory. Democrats lost seats in the House. The Senate is still up in the air—however, two significant Senate seats were flipped, with the election of Mark Kelly in Arizona and John Hickenlooper in Colorado. Trump continues to undermine democracy out of delusional spite. We didn't win everywhere, but where we did win—thanks are very much owed. Above all, I'm most thankful that we will have competence back in the White House.

There's plenty to do in Georgia, and we will continue the fight for the Senate and beyond. For now, let's take a moment to celebrate our victory.

– Juan Cerda, Vice-Chair of DAA

DA’s Phonebanking Campaign

Phone banking works and our call hub activities may have had a significant impact on the 2020 election results. The DA global phone banking team currently consists of 1,600 volunteers who have made over 600,000 calls to more than 200 countries. Our DA Austria team had done 11,904 calls by election day. To illustrate this: our DAA phone bankers were online on call hub for a period of 583 hours and talked to people for 308 hours. 34 people in Austria helped make calls during this election campaign and our top five phone bankers each had more than 1,000 conversations with voters. The biggest highlight of our phone banking activities was the call-a-thon on Trump’s birthday with almost 9,000 calls. What a gift for the president. A big thank you to all of our phone bankers!

– Michael Wagner, DA Austria Phone Bank Coordinator

Thank You Laura — DAA Youth Caucus Coordinator

DA Austria would like to extend a big thank you to Laura Farmwald who did great work organising the Young Dems Pub Nights for the Youth Caucus over the past year. Many of you know Laura from the Global Presidential Primary where she registered voters, or perhaps from the 2019 Pride Parade which she co-organised. Laura needs to step down from her role due to a busy work and academic life. We wish her great success completing her Masters degree!

Youth Caucus Coordinator Position Open

If you or someone you know is interested in building your resume and being a key component of DA Austria’s youth outreach, please contact me at: [email protected]

–Jen Rakow-Stepper, Chair DA Austria

Democratic Holiday Gifts that Win for Georgia

The impact of the work of Democrats Abroad has never been more apparent: 19,000 overseas ballots were the “margin of victory” for Biden’s 12,000-vote lead in Georgia. Our votes from abroad helped turn Georgia blue for the first time since 1992!

Two U.S. Senate seats will be decided in a January 5 run-off election that will oust Mitch McConnell and his plan to cause further gridlock. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris need and deserve a Congress that will work with them and for the American people.

Help Democrats Abroad realize our extensive outreach plan for reaching Georgians abroad – from social media and phonebanking campaigns to postal mailings and newspaper ads.

Consider supporting Georgia outreach efforts by making a donation in return for Democrats Abroad swag, including a limited-edition Georgia peach tote bag.

If you are already stocked with plenty of Democrats Abroad gear, you can still help by donating directly: democratsabroad.org/donate.

Reviews:

Solidarity Sundays 38: Democracy — Let's Fix It!

New Dealers in the '30s tried to save the economy, and ended up saving democracy. The nightmare of Watergate was followed by an era of reforms in federal and state governments. What might an era of economic and political reform look like after Trump?

Let’s be honest — America’s democracy is broken. The minority party routinely elects Presidents, controls state legislatures, and appoints federal judges — locking the majority out of governing. The hard-won Biden-Harris victory is critical to saving our system, but not enough to fix it.

Solidarity Sundays emerged as part of the civic movement inspired by Trump’s election. Our grassroots group was founded on the principle that democratic renewal takes more than one or two elections. At the last meet-up of the year, sixteen activists focused on rebuilding work that we can start in 2021.

Building starts with the foundation. Juan Cerda surveyed who voted in November, and why. Democrats embody America’s diverse majority, but the election revealed cracks in our coalition. These need attention if we are to expand on this year’s achievement, reassert majority power, and enact a fully progressive agenda.

Attendees then turned to the question on everyone‘s mind — where do we start? This was discussion at its finest. The team explored threats to our fraying democracy, and debated reforms small and big. Talk was lively, critiques incisive, ideas inventive. Juan and Tanya will do their best to shape the ideas into Solidarity Sundays' 2021 agenda. Check out the Solidarity Sundays Vienna Facebook page for how to drop in on the stimulating conversation, and add your ideas and muscle to the work of our generation.

—Tanya Lolonis, Solidarity Sundays Vienna Co-Founder

Thanks for reading December's newsletter!

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Georgia voters, your vote is powerful and will determine Biden's presidency!

Federal elections were held for both of Georgia’s US Senate seats on November 3, 2020. Both of these races are going to "runoff elections", to be held on January 5, 2021, as no candidate received at least 50% of the vote. Democrats need to win both of these seats to have a 50/50 Senate with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris able to cast the tie-breaking vote.

The two races are:

• US Senate: Jon Ossoff (Democrat) versus David Perdue (Republican)

• US Senate Special: Raphael Warnock (Democrat) versus Kelly Loeffler (Republican)

Both US Senate races in Georgia are going to a runoff election on January 5th, 2021. Ballots are available since November 21. 

💙 DA Global needs to raise funds for ads to support the GA Senate runoffs. We must turn out as many GA voters abroad as possible. Due to FEC rules, country committees cannot pay for the ads; only DA Global can. If you can give any amount to support this effort, that would be great! As proven, overseas voters are the margin of victory. Donate here: democratsabroad.org/georgia_runoff

Georgia voters, here's what you need to do today!

#1 Register to Vote by December 7 
🗳️ If you didn't vote in the November election, you can still vote in the runoff! Go to votefromabroad.org and request an absentee ballot or register to vote. Ask for your ballot to be sent to you by email. First time voters who will be 18 years old by January 5, 2021 can also vote!

#2 Check your ballot status
🏴 If you voted in November, check your absentee ballot status at mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do

 

 

#3 Ballots must be returned by post or courier service
If your absentee ballot application has not been received, you will need to request a ballot at votefromabroad.org by Jan 5, 2021. Please don't wait—request and return your ballot immediately!

Ballot return to Georgia is by postal mail only, so hurry. Because of the mail disruptions from COVID and Christmas, voters should mail back their ballots ASAP. Regular mail may work in November, but by December it will be too late and you should definitely use a courier. Ballots must arrive in Georgia by January 8, 2021. The US Consulate in Vienna will accept ballots for the Diplomatic Pouch until 4pm Monday, December 7.

#4 Receive your ballot by email on November 21 and return it asap!
✍️ If you don't receive your official ballot, fill out and mail back a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) at https://www.votefromabroad.org/fwab/. Because the FWAB isn't set up for two Senate races, here's an example FWAB showing how to fill it out:

 

FWAB Example:

 

 

#5 Check it was received

☑️ Verify your ballot was accepted, and fix if needed. georgia.ballottrax.net/voter

 

Questions?

👉 We're here to help!

• Email us at: [email protected]
• Join a Georgia Abroad Voter Assistance personal zoom video session
• Call DA Austria Chair Jennifer at +43 6991 108 7981

 

You want to help get out the Georgia vote?
Reach out to Georgia voters in your networks and make sure they are ready to vote. 

• See more ways to help in these slides Help with the Georgia runoff election!
• Phonebank in Georgia for both the Ossoff and Warnock campaigns. Find more information at info mobilize.us/ These PhoneBanking campaigns currently require a US-based mobile phone number—or similar VoIP service like Google Voice, Skype In, or Line2—to be able to signup for calling. We are working to locate other calling opportunities as well.

 

PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR FRIENDS WHO VOTE IN GEORGIA.

In this Issue –

Events:

• DA Austria Election Night Party
• Global Programming for Nov 3 & 4
• "First Vote" Documentary Viewing
• Solidarity Sundays #38

Issues & Actions:

• Getting Out the Vote in Vorarlberg
• DA Austria in the News
• Gearing up for 2020
  • Voter Protection Survey
  • Democrats Abroad's 2020 Impact

Reviews:

• Innsbruck Meet-up
• Solidarity Sundays #37

Member's Corner:

• Art & Music Fridays
• Lockdown: Vienna Nights in the time of Corona

Our Executive Committee meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. Our next meeting will be held online on: Wednesday, November 11, 2020, at 7 p.m. Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Jennifer at [email protected] to join. 

DAA is making a strong effort to include in our monthly newsletter all the information you need to stay up to date in order to avoid the flood of emails that occurs in an election year. By sending you fewer emails, we hope you will read those you receive. Thanks for reading!

EVENTS:

Election Night Party with a Twist! November 3, 9:30 PM – Online	Global Programming: 24 Hours November 3, 8:00 PM (CST)
View the Documentary "First Vote" Until November 10	Solidarity Sundays 38: Democracy - Let‘s Fix It! November 29, 4:00 PM

ISSUES & ACTIONS:

Getting Out the Vote in Vorarlberg

Democrats Abroad in Vorarlberg, Austria made themselves not only heard last week (through phone-banking and calling out from mountain tops) but also seen, with a 90 foot abroad banner exhorting compatriots in all lands to vote and vote right for Biden-Harris with Vengence! Have a look. 

Election Night with a Twist! Schedule

We’ll watch the news and so much more! Join us online for the DA Austria election night party. We’ve got a lot planned to keep us entertained and informed throughout the night. Here’s the full schedule–

Gearing up for 2020

This is the spot where we answer your frequently asked questions and make sure you, your family, friends, and colleagues have the voter information you need to be an enfranchised voter and make your vote count. Please share!

Democrats Abroad Impact in 2020

2020 has been a record breaking year for Democrats Abroad, as we have nearly tripled our outreach to Americans abroad and are on track to double the vote from abroad. The unique challenges presented by the global COVID pandemic and international mail disruption make these achievements particularly significant.

Our nonpartisan voter support tool - VoteFromAbroad.org - has seen more than 766,680 unique visitors visit the site more than 1 million times - nearly 3x 2016 traffic.

 We estimate that in 2020 approximately 1.8 million eligible American Voters living abroad have received ballots (compared to 930,156 ballots received in 2016).

 50% of ballots from American Voters Abroad will be returned to battleground states in this year’s election!

We are on target to DOUBLE 2016 voter turnout abroad. That means an additional 500,000 votes—and possibly 1 million!—sent from abroad. 

This success was made possible through the 18,000 volunteers who generously provide their support, as well as the donations of over 4000 donors, who donated over $650k this year to Democrats Abroad (an all volunteer run organization with no external funding). 

— Aaron Fishbone, DA Global Communications Director

Voter Protection Survey

Tell us about your voting experience so we can help make voting better for every American abroad. Let us know in this short survey. Your feedback and stories are vital for pushing election reform in Congress and in state legislatures.

This election cycle Individual leaders and volunteers testified in two Federal cases on behalf of voters abroad this fall. The first case was resolved with a successful judgement against Postmaster DeJoy. DA currently runs a voter protection division that includes a director, 9 lawyer volunteers, and voter protection volunteers tasked with organizing and managing the escalation of cases from our country committees and voter help communications.

DA Austria in the News  

DA Austria has been in the news a lot recently in the run up to the election on Tuesday. Be sure to watch or tune in! Young DA Austria members will be asked about their feelings about the election on Ö3. Other spokespeople will appear early in the morning on Wednesday on Servus TV and Puls 4 and later in the afternoon on ORF 2 Vorabend, Ö1 Radio Journal Panorama, Puls 4 Pro & Contra will take place at 8:30pm and finally Runder Tisch at 10:25pm on ORF. 

REVIEWS:

Innsbruck Meet-up 

A group of DA members living in Innsbruck get together at Glorious Bastards restaurant on Friday, October 9. Tyler reported, "It was a great success! Everyone had turned in their ballots already and we'll meet up again in December."

Solidarity Sundays #37: Can We Trust the Polls?

The 2016 election shocked most of us. How could Trump win the presidency when he was behind in the polls? On the eve of the most important election in our lifetime, this Solidarity Sundays webinar explored what went wrong in 2016 and asked — was the same thing happening again?

Tanya Lolonis ran through how polls are made. Building them is partly art — figuring out what the electorate will look like, then selecting a sample of respondents who look like that. The other part — calculating the sampling error, the ± 3 or so attached to a poll’s results — is the science.

In 2016, national polls got it right, correctly predicting Clinton’s popular vote win. Battleground state polls, though, were way off. Why? The samples they selected (the art part) were wrong. State polls underrepresented white non-college educated voters — a fatal error. That year, education was the best predictor of white voter preferences — those with college degrees went for Clinton, those without degrees preferred Trump. Pollsters build models based on how the electorate looked in the past. It’s why they miss tectonic shifts, like blue collar voters moving from Democrat to Republican under Reagan. In 2016, they missed the educational achievement shift.

By the time you read this, we’ll know if pollsters got it right in 2020. We have great confidence they won’t make the same mistake twice. Still, a “pandemic election“ won’t make predictions easier. We are on the edge of our seat to learn what new error they make.

What to do when polls menace your sleep? Two things help. First, don‘t trust individual polls. Be guided by a good meta-pollster, like Nate Silver’s fivethirtyeight.com. They average polls to flatten the error fluctuations, and weight the most reliable polls so you don’t have to.

Second, do something within your control. Michael Wagner, DA Austria’s Phonebanking Coordinator, shared the impact volunteers have had in turning out the expat vote. In October alone, 18 phonebankers made 4,800 calls out of Austria to the world. Two weeks before election day, nearly 60,000 members globally told 700 phonebankers they had voted.

Forecasting the future is difficult; helping to shape it is potent.

MEMBER'S CORNER

Art & Music Fridays

An exhibit and concert series by DA Austria member Kathleen Amos Eichorn in Sulz im Wienerwald. Individual, hour-long seatings available from 7-10pm following Covid regulations. Please email [email protected] to confirm upcoming dates and make a reservation.

Lockdown: Vienna Nights in the Time of Corona

Dear all, I'm producing a coffee table book of the photographs I took in Vienna at night during LOCKDOWN, and I am hosting a crowdfunding site with REWARDS for contributions. You can view the site at  wemakeit.com and search Danny LoCascio. 

Or click this link LOCKDOWN: Vienna Nights in the time of Corona  

– Danny LoCasio

Thanks for reading the November newsletter! 

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Attention all US voters in Austria! 

PROMOTIONAL 20% OFF DHL BALLOT RETURN RATE!

For those of you who have not yet voted, Metropole English language magazine and Democrats Abroad Austria are happy to announce a reduced rate for ballot returns with DHL!

You can now return your ballot with DHL for a flat rate of EUR 24,77 when dropped off at a DHL Servicepoint. Promo code: USA20

Via online order, your ballot can also be picked up by DHL for a flat rate of EUR 39,83 (including pick up). Promo code: USACLICK20

Please note: your ballots will be delivered between 1 to 5 days after handover to DHL Express.

In this Issue –

Events:

• Young Dems Pub Night
• Presidential Progressive Pizza
• Vice Presidential Debate Watch Party
• Innsbruck Afterwork Meet-Up
• Last Call! Voter Help Table
• Presidential Debate Watch Party (TBD)
• Presidential Debate Watch Party (TBD)
• Solidarity Sundays #37

Issues & Actions:

• Gearing up for 2020: Voting & Returning Your Ballot — FAQ's
  • Get In-Person Voting Help
  • Get Online Voting Help
  • Should I Submit a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot?
  • How Should I Return My Ballot?
  • Help! Am I Being Disenfranchised?

Reviews:

• Candlelight Vigil for Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Solidarity Sundays #36:  Dismantling Structural Racism Workshop

Member's Corner:

• Step Up for Democracy
• Lockdown: Vienna Nights in the time of Corona
• Opinion: Setting the Stage to Steal the 2020 Elections.

Our Executive Committee meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. Our next meeting will be held online on: Wednesday, October 14, 2020, at 7 p.m. Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Jennifer at [email protected] to join. 

DAA is making a strong effort to include in our monthly newsletter all the information you need to stay up to date in order to avoid the flood of emails that occurs in an election year. By sending you fewer emails, we hope you will read those you receive. Thanks for reading!

EVENTS:

Presidential Progressive Pizza — Let's Save the Planet! October 6, 7:00 PM – Online	Young Dems Pub Night October 6, 7:30 PM — In person
Last Call! Voter Registration & Ballot Help October 12, 5:00 PM — In person	Vice Presidential Debate Watch Party October 8, 7:00 PM — Online
Innsbruck Afterwork Meet Up October 9, 6:00 PM — In person	Presidential Debate Watch Party October 16, 7:00 PM — Online
Presidential Debate Watch Party October 23, 7:00 PM — Online	Solidarity Sundays #37: Can We Trust the Polls? October 25, 4:00 PM — Online

ISSUES & ACTIONS:

Gearing up for 2020

This is the spot where we answer your frequently asked questions and make sure you, your family, friends, and colleagues have the voter information you need to be an enfranchised voter and make your vote count. Please share!

Americans living overseas must request their ballot in every calendar year they want to vote — yes, even if it’s normally sent to you automatically. Go to Vote From Abroad and request your ballot to be sent to you by email! Don’t procrastinate — you should have received your ballot by email on September 19. The time to request is now! 

When you receive your ballot be sure to immediately vote it and return it by the fastest method your state allows — help election officials at home by getting your ballot in early and flattening the curve. 

Where can I get in-person help?

Come to our LAST Voter Help Table in Vienna! 

We’ve been helping Americans to register to vote, request their ballot, fax their ballot back, and fill out their Federal Absentee Write-in Ballot at farmers markets and other venues during the summer and fall. OUR LAST IN-PERSON VOTER HELP TABLE IS OCTOBER 12!  Please be sure to stop by and say hello to our fantastic volunteers and make sure you are ready for November’s election. Bring a friend! 

Where can I get online help?

Most days of the week, volunteers at the Global Voter Help Desk are ready to answer your questions in a one-on-one session. Just go to democratsabroad.org/global_voter_assistance.

Should I submit a Federal Absentee Write-in Ballot (FWAB)?

If you haven't received your ballot yet, you should send a back-up emergency ballot (FWAB) immediately! You must return you're ballot the same way you would your official ballot. 

This year, like no other, the fate of your ballot depends on which state you vote in. Currently* AR, CT, GA, ID, IL, KY, MD, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT**, WI, will only allow voters to return their ballot by postal mail/courier. All US Citizens who vote in one of these states should immediately fill out and return a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB). It’s not the year to put your ballot in jeopardy! 

Even if you sent in a FWAB you can still send the regular ballot if and when you receive it. “If they both arrive before the deadline — which for most states is Election Day — the election office will count only the official ballot, so there’s no need to worry your vote will be double-counted or disqualified.” (Are You an American Voting From Abroad? Here’s How to Do It, NYT August 28, 2020). After you send in your ballot, you can check if it was received by your election office.

Get more information on how to submit your Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot.

* Please check the State Voting Guide at votefromabroad.org for up to date information for your state.

** Voters in Vermont need to check with their local election official.

Where’s my ballot?   

You should have received your ballot in your inbox on or before September 19 (check your spam folder).

If you didn’t request to receive your ballot by email, you can still do so. Just resubmit your FPCA form or go online to your state’s voter status website — google “Am I registered” and your state. Some states ask for an ID or a driver’s license with the online form. In this case contact your local election official directly. You can find yours under “Find your election office” at votefromabroad.org.

How should I return my ballot?

You should return your ballot as soon as you receive it in the fastest way which your state allows. 

If you can return your ballot by email, online, or by fax, use this method! 

• States that accept email and online ballot returns are: AL, AZ, CO, DC, DE, HI, IA, IN, KS, MA, ME, MS, MT, MO, NC, ND, NE, NM, NV, RI, OR, SC, UT, *VT, WA, WV
• States that accept ballot returns by FAX are: AK, CA, FL, LA, OK. Most Austrian post offices have a Fax machine. Or, read the instructions on how to do it without a fax machine. With both methods, make sure the pages you are sending are reduced 94% in order to fit the shorter US paper size.

States that only accept postal mail ballot returns (be sure to also immediately send an FWAB) are: AR, CT, GA, ID, IL, KY, MD, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SD, TN, TX, VA, *VT, WI

If you can only return your ballot by postal mail you have a couple of different options:

1. Courier Service: The "mail only" ballot return states have confirmed to Democrats Abroad, in writing, that they will accept overseas ballots that are sent in by courier (Fedex, DHL, etc). All of the states indicated that a date stamp isn't needed if the Ballot/FWAB arrives by close of polls on Election Day, November 3.  A date stamp is only necessary in those states that have a "postmarked by election day" deadline and accept ballots that are received in a specific period after Election Day. If a ballot for one of those states is received after Election Day, then there must be something to prove it was placed in the mail by Election Day. The states that require a date stamp for ballots that arrive after Election Day are: GA, IL, KY, MD, NJ, NY, PA, TX, and VA.
2. Diplomatic Pouch: You may drop off your ballot in person at U.S. Consulate Vienna at Parkring 12A (Marriott Hotel building), weekdays from 08:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Ballots sent by Diplomatic Pouch must be placed in a postage-paid envelope for them to be delivered to the proper local election authorities once received by the U.S. sorting facility. It can take up to three weeks for mail sent by Diplomatic Pouch to reach your local election office. Therefore, U.S. Consulate Vienna will accept ballots until October 7.
3. Priority mail with the Austrian Post: The Austrian post office updates its International postal service on a daily basis which means it could currently be unreliable. You can check the current status here. Use the envelope template provided with your ballot, but be sure to add postage where it says “no postage required.” Expect up to a 4 week delivery time. NOTE: In order that the envelope is not returned to you by the Austrian post, put an X in ballpoint pen across the return address in such a way that it is still legible to the local election official in the US.

Help! Am I being disenfranchised?

If you have not received your ballot and have perhaps been stonewalled by your local election office, it's a good idea to go to the voter protection expert group in Democrats Abroad. Please contact them at [email protected] with an explanation of the issue and supporting documentation and communications you've had with your LEO. Please contact me at [email protected] if you're unsure. 

REVIEWS:

Candlelight Vigil for Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Hours after Austria awoke to the news of the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, sixty Americans gathered before the U.S. Embassy in Vienna. A fierce wind made it hard to keep candles alight, and mask-wearing mourners observed social distance. Mourners for the liberal Supreme Court Justice and feminist lodestar greeted one another with expressions of grief.

The devastation was amplified because America is in the middle of an election. Early voting is underway in some places – it began the day Ginsburg passed – making November 3 the end of the election. As the vigil started, President Trump announced he would nominate a conservative to succeed her. His rush to fill the seat will have profound consequences. The Supreme Court has operated as a 5-4 conservative majority for over a decade; now the bare majority will be a super majority.

Democrats Abroad Austria Chair, Jennifer Stepper-Rakow, spoke of Ginsburg’s career and what the Justice meant to Democrats. She did not get far before people cut in — can I still register to vote? How do I send my ballot home if the post service isn’t reliable? Does the consulate take ballots? I haven’t gotten my ballot, when can I expect it? In an instant, the vigil for the equal rights champion became a political organizing event.

DA Austria’s Chair, Juan Cerda, gave an impassioned speech asking mourners to “text five friends — now — be sure they’re voting and know how.“ We’re in the middle of a pandemic, a presidential election and a supreme court fight, he reminded the gathering. “Everything is on the line”.

And then a clear voice broke through. Raina Saul-Ganev began “Amazing Grace.” The crowd slowly joined in, and the organizing rally became a vigil once again. As the last note hung in the air, a nearby church rang its bells. 

Solidarity Sundays #36:  Dismantling Structural Racism Workshop

“I can‘t tell you what your work is in this movement, but I … know that determining our roles and opportunities is something that needs to happen in conversation and community with others.“

Sherri Spelic, Vienna-based author and educator, introduced Solidarity Sundays to a method of approaching systemic racism and how we live it:  intimate and reflective conversation.  

Discussing emotional issues is never easy. Discussing racism is particularly tricky. Speaking honestly makes us apprehensive, uncomfortable, and anxious. Let‘s face it, no one wants to be wrong. Ms. Spelic made talking easier by posing questions, then stepping back. In small break-out groups, people jumped into animated, personal, and meaningful conversations on racism.

The news is filled with information to process:  police brutality and Covid’s disproportionate impact on communities of Colour among the most important. With so much to fix, where to begin? Ms. Spelic‘s observation:  admitting our own feelings on racism is a potent starting point. Working from self-knowledge, she offered, creates openings to think, to listen and to be a part of anti-racist solutions.

Solidarity Sundays recognizes that in order to foster an equitable and inclusive community, it is necessary to have uncomfortable conversations on topics like race. We are grateful for Sherri Spelic‘s help in facilitating these valuable discussions.

Sherri Spelic shared this powerful poem by Clint Smith III. We think you might want to hear him tell it:  [“How to raise a black son in America”] (https://youtu.be/boGt69rR7X8)

MEMBER'S CORNER

Step Up for Democracy

Our DA Austria Communications Chair Sophie just released an app that allows you to fundraise and exercise in one! Using the new app Step Up for Democracy you can raise money for democratic causes each time you hit your daily step goal! Available for iOS on the Apple App Store.

– Sophie Spiegelberger 

Lockdown: Vienna Nights in the Time of Corona

Dear all, I'm producing a coffee table book of the photographs I took in Vienna at night during LOCKDOWN, and I am hosting a crowdfunding site with REWARDS for contributions. You can view the site at  wemakeit.com and search Danny LoCascio. 

Or click this link LOCKDOWN: Vienna Nights in the time of Corona  

– Danny LoCasio

Opinion

Voters beware – Trump and the Republican Party have been setting the stage to steal the 2020 elections.

If you are hard pressed to believe that the 2020 elections cannot be stolen, keep in mind that Trump wants to stay in power to avoid criminal charges for many of his transgressions for which there is ample public evidence. For that purpose, I would like to invite you to think about the following:

Since the impeachment, Trump and the Republicans have been working to find all kinds of ways to swing the population’s feelings to get behind Trump, painting him as a ‘victim of false accusations’ by the Democrats and the media. Trump himself has constantly used the term ‘witch hunt’ when evidence of his multidimensional violation of laws, ethics, facts, etc. surface and it is made public.  The Republican Senate violated every element of honesty, decency, and their elected responsibilities by their actions when the articles of impeachment reached them widely demonstrated by Republican House and Senate elected officials. Trump knows he has to stay in office for another 4 years to avoid criminal charges.

— Patricia Godoy-Kain

READ MORE

Thanks for reading the October newsletter! 

By Patricia Godoy-Kain

If you are hard pressed to believe that the 2020 elections cannot be stolen, keep in mind that Trump wants to stay in power to avoid criminal charges for many of his transgressions for which there is ample public evidence. For that purpose, I would like to invite you to think about the following:

Since the impeachment, Trump and the Republicans have been working to find all kinds of ways to swing the population’s feelings to get behind Trump, painting him as a ‘victim of false accusations’ by the Democrats and the media. Trump himself has constantly used the term ‘witch hunt’ when evidence of his multidimensional violation of laws, ethics, facts, etc. surface and it is made public.  The Republican Senate violated every element of honesty, decency, and their elected responsibilities by their actions when the articles of impeachment reached them widely demonstrated by Republican House and Senate elected officials. Trump knows he has to stay in office for another 4 years to avoid criminal charges.

Democrats Abroad Austria in September 

In this Issue –

Events:

• Vote Across Austria: Bludenz, Bregenz, Dornbirn, Feldkirch, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, & Vienna!
• Drag Queen Bingo — The Sequel
• Young Dems Pub Night
• Fax you Ballot Back
• Solidarity Sundays #36
• Democrats Abroad Welcomes Malcolm Nance
• Democrats Abroad Welcomes London Breed

Issues & Actions:

• Gearing up for 2020: Voting & Returning Your Ballot — FAQ's
  • Get In-Person Voting Help
  • Get Online Voting Help
  • Should I Submit a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot?
  • Should I use the Diplomatic Pouch?
• Help Make Trump a One Term President

Reviews:

• 4th of July in the Park – Vienna & Graz
• Recap of the Democratic National Convention

Member's Corner:

• Metropole Business Subscription
• From Vienna to the USA with Steven Scheschareg
• Liebe Ohne Grenzen – Ehe Ohne Grenzen

Our Executive Committee meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. Our next meeting will be held on: Wednesday, September 9, 2020, at 7 p.m. Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Jennifer at [email protected] to join. 

DAA is making a strong effort to include in our monthly newsletter all the information you need to stay up to date in order to avoid the flood of emails that occurs in an election year. By sending you fewer emails, we hope you will read those you receive. Thanks for reading!

EVENTS:

Bludenz — Voter Registration Help September 5, 10:00 AM	Feldkirch — Voter Registration Help September 5, 9:00 AM
Vienna — Voter Registration Help September 5, 5:00 PM	Drag Queen Bingo Fundraiser — The Sequel! September 5, 8:00 PM
Young Dems Pub Night September 8, 7:30 PM	Linz — Voter Registration Help September 10, 3:00 PM
Linz — Voter Registration Help September 10, 6:00 PM	Graz — Voter Registration Help September 11, 5:00 PM
Salzburg — Voter Registration Help September 11, 2:00 PM	Vienna — Voter Registration Help September 12, 12:00 PM
Dornbirn — Voter Registration Help September 12, 9:00 AM	Vienna — Voter Registration Help September 18, 5:00 PM
Bregenz — Voter Registration Help September 19, 9:00 AM	Fax Your Ballot Back — Together! September 21, 5:00 PM
Dialing For Democracy — Call-a-thon September 22-24, all day	Solidarity Sundays #36: Dismantling Structural Racism Workshop Sunday, September 27, 4 PM
Democrats Abroad Welcomes Malcom Nance September 10, 3:00 PM (CET)	Democrats Abroad Welcomes Mayor London Breed September 24, 8:00 PM (CET)

ISSUES & ACTIONS:

Gearing up for 2020

This is the spot where we answer your frequently asked questions and make sure you, your family, friends, and colleagues have the voter information you need to be an enfranchised voter and make your vote count. Please share!

Americans living overseas must request their ballot in every calendar year they want to vote — yes, even if it’s normally sent to you automatically. Go to Vote From Abroad and request your ballot to be sent to you by email! Don’t procrastinate — blank ballots will be sent September 19. The time to request is now! 

When you receive your ballot by email on or before September 19, be sure to immediately vote it and return it by the fastest method your state allows — help election officials at home by getting your ballot in early and flattening the curve. 

Why Use the Federal Postcard Application (FPCA)?

1. All states will send you your blank ballot by email on or before September 19, if you requested one. Not sure? Check with your local election official or re-submit an FPCA form and request to receive your ballot by email
2. Some states give more time to return a ballot
3. An up-to-date FPCA form could protect your ballot in case of a recount
4. You may have the option to return your ballot electronically (fax, email, web portal)
5. You may use the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) if your ballot doesn’t arrive on time — you can only use an FWAB if you have sent in the FPCA!
6. You’ll receive ballots for all the elections in which you are eligible to vote for the calendar year, including run-offs and special elections

Why use Vote from Abroad (VFA) vs other FPCA-generating websites like FVAP or Overseas Vote Foundation? 

1. Vote from Abroad has a photo signature option that allows voters from most states (excluding CA and NY) to sign their completed FPCA and email it directly without needing to print, sign, and scan it
2. VFA has an online help desk to answer individual voter questions
3. VFA has volunteers who contact states to ensure that voting information is correct and up to date in the State Voting Guide
4. VFA has the option to receive non-partisan voting reminders tailored to your state

Where can I get in-person help?

Come to one of our Voter Registration Help Tables in Graz, Innsbruck, Linz, Salzburg, Vorarlberg & Vienna*! 

We’ve been helping Americans to register to vote, request their ballot, and fill out their Federal Absentee Write-in Ballot at various farmers' markets and other venues during the summer and we’ll continue over the next couple of months. Please be sure to stop by and say hello to our fantastic volunteers and make sure you are ready for November’s election. Bring a friend! 

For voters who need to return their ballot by fax, we’ll help you on September 21st.

*Help tables in Vienna have a printer, envelopes, and stamps available. 

Where can I get online help?

Every Sunday, volunteers at the Global Voter Help Desk are ready to answer your questions in a one-on-one session. Just go to democratsabroad.org/global_voter_assistance.

Should I submit a Federal Absentee Write-in Ballot (FWAB)?

This year, like no other, the fate of your ballot depends on which state you vote in. Currently* AR, CT, GA, ID, IL, KY, MD, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT**, WI, will only allow voters to return their ballot by postal mail. All US Citizens who vote in one of these states should immediately fill out and return a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB). It’s not the year to put your ballot in jeopardy! 

Even if you sent in a FWAB you can still send the regular ballot if and when you receive it. “If they both arrive before the deadline — which for most states is Election Day — the election office will count only the official ballot, so there’s no need to worry your vote will be double-counted or disqualified.” (Are You an American Voting From Abroad? Here’s How to Do It, NYT August 28, 2020). After you send in your ballot, you can check if it was received by your election office.

Get more information on how to submit your Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot.

* States are constantly realising that postal-only ballot return will disenfranchise tens of thousands of overseas voters and are updating the regulations daily. Please check the State Voting Guide at votefromabroad.org for up to date information for your state.

** Voters in Vermont need to check with their local election official.

Where’s my ballot?   

Your ballot should be in your inbox on or before September 19 (check your spam folder).

If you didn’t request to receive your ballot by email, you can still do so. Just resubmit your FPCA form or go online to your state’s voter status website — google “Am I registered” and your state. Some states ask for an ID or a driver’s license with the online form. In this case contact your local election official directly. You can find yours under “Find your election office” at votefromabroad.org.

How should I return my ballot?

You should return your ballot as soon as you receive it in the fastest way which your state allows. 

If you can return your ballot by email, online, or by fax, use this method! 

• States that accept email and online ballot returns are: AL, AZ, CO, DC, DE, HI, IA, IN, KS, MA, ME, MS, MT, MO, NC, ND, NE, NM, NV, RI, OR, SC, UT, *VT, WA, WV
• States that accept ballot returns by FAX are: AK, CA, FL, LA, OK

States that only accept postal mail ballot returns (be sure to also immediately send an FWAB) are: AR, CT, GA, ID, IL, KY, MD, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SD, TN, TX, VA, *VT, WI

If you can only return your ballot by postal mail you have a couple of different options:

• Priority mail with the Austrian Post: As of August 29, the Austrian post office is accepting “Brief Priority”, but is not accepting “Paket Light International” to the US. Use the envelope template provided with your ballot, but be sure to add postage where it says “no postage required.” Expect a two week delivery time. 

NOTE: The Austrian postal machines cannot read the envelope template when the return address is in the upper left-hand corner. To avoid this problem, put an X in ballpoint pen across the return address in such a way that it is still legible to the local election official in the US.

• Courier Service: As of August 29, the "mail only" ballot return states have confirmed to Democrats Abroad, in writing, that they will accept overseas ballots that are sent in by courier (Fedex, DHL, etc). All of the states indicated that a date stamp isn't needed if the Ballot/FWAB arrives by close of polls on Election Day, November 3.

A date stamp is only necessary in those states that have a "postmarked by election day" deadline and accept ballots that are received in a specific period after Election Day. If a ballot for one of those states is received after Election Day, then there must be something to prove it was placed in the mail by Election Day. The states that require a date stamp for ballots that arrive after Election Day are: GA, IL, KY, MD, NJ, NY, PA, TX, and VA.

• Diplomatic Pouch: You may drop off your ballot in person at U.S. Consulate Vienna at Parkring 12A (Marriott Hotel building), weekdays from 08:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Ballots sent by Diplomatic Pouch must be placed in a postage-paid envelope for them to be delivered to the proper local election authorities once received by the U.S. sorting facility. It can take up to three weeks for mail sent by Diplomatic Pouch to reach your local election office. Therefore, U.S. Consulate Vienna will not accept any ballots after October 2. 

Remember, although the diplomatic pouch is free it is also VERY slow. Once your ballot reaches Dulles Airport in DC it then goes into the normal US Postal Service which is currently having huge delays.

Make Trump a One Term President!

Let us know if you can help us for a few hours at a voter registration table by sending me an email at [email protected]. I’ll send you a link and the voter access code to our online sign-up sheet. Or, make a donation of any size and help us pay for social media advertising and postcards to get out the vote amongst swing state voters and other Americans living in Austria who are not (yet) members of Democrats Abroad Austria. Please remember, because of Federal Election laws, DA Austria can only accept donations from US citizens.

REVIEWS:

July 4 Events in Graz and Vienna

DA Austria members celebrated Independence Day at outdoor tables at the Schankwirtschaft in the Augarten in Vienna’s 2nd district and with a picnic in the park in Graz. 

There were about sixty attendees in Vienna. Members and guests enjoyed seeing each other in person, discussing the upcoming elections, and spending a nice afternoon together. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the raffle — your donations will go directly towards our get out the vote efforts!

Recap of the Democratic National Convention 

By: Juan Cerda, Joe Biden Delegate for EMEA region

The 2020 Democratic National Convention concluded on August 21st, 2020, for a complete virtual online experience with the nomination of Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice-President. 

 Due to the coronavirus pandemic that continues to wreak havoc in the US, the convention played out unlike any before in that it was entirely virtual. Most speakers' remarks were pre-recorded, and none of the usual crowds, balloons, and fanfare that were standard in previous conventions were to be seen.  

Although I would’ve loved to have been in person on the DNC convention floor to witness everything firsthand, it was still a great experience. The DNC was a huge success to pull off in such trying and uncertain times. The powerful speeches showcased the vast coalition of progressive, moderate and conservative voices supporting Joe Biden as our next President of the United States.

In case you missed it, here are the video highlights:

READ MORE

MEMBER'S CORNER

The Benefits of DA Membership

DA Austria members can take part in a special offer for access to Metropole magazine’s print, online, and Metropole Salon invitations with a €30 donation to DAA for a one-year subscription. Send me an email at [email protected] if you want to take part. I’ll contact you to make your donation when we have four other members who want to take advantage of this great deal! 

From Vienna to the USA with Steven Scheschareg

DA Austria member and Viennese Austro-American Baritone Steven Scheschareg enjoys a career bridging two worlds. Born to Austrian immigrants in NYC, he presents a program of operetta melodies by composers who were exiled from Austria and moved to the US. The program "From Vienna to the USA" presents songs, arias and Lieder by Viennese composers Korngold, Kalman, Zemlinsky, Jurmann, Leopoldi, Stolz, Spielmann and many others who all came to America. It attempts to answer the questions: what did these composers do and create in the US? Were they successful? Were they homesick? And how did they ever learn English? RSVP at [email protected]

• September 6 Cafe Korb 1010 Brandstätte 9
• September 25 Cafe Amacord 1040 Rechte Wienzeile 15
• Oktober 6 Theater LEO 1030 Ungargase 18
• November 8 Grand Cafe Alsergrund 1090 Lustkandlgasse 4

Liebe Ohne Grenzen – Ehe Ohne Grenzen 

Rarely has LOVE WITHOUT BORDERS received so much attention: The media reports about love in times of COVID-19 and the hurdles of seemingly insurmountable national borders which often separate families and deprive children of one parent.

— Michael Wagner

READ MORE

Thanks for reading DA Austria’s September newsletter! 

By: Juan Cerda, Joe Biden Delegate for EMEA region

The 2020 Democratic National Convention concluded on August 21st, 2020, for a complete virtual online experience with the nomination of Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice-President. 

Due to the coronavirus pandemic that continues to wreak havoc in the US, the convention played out unlike any before in that it was entirely virtual. Most speakers' remarks were pre-recorded, and none of the usual crowds, balloons, and fanfare that were standard in previous conventions were to be seen.  

Although I would’ve loved to have been in person on the DNC convention floor to witness everything firsthand, it was still a great experience. The DNC was a huge success to pull off in such trying and uncertain times. The powerful speeches showcased the vast coalition of progressive, moderate and conservative voices supporting Joe Biden as our next President of the United States.

In case you missed it, here are the video highlights:

Senator Bernie Sanders

Senator Bernie Sanders delivers a powerful speech in complete support of electing Joe Biden as our next President:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG1vQnUrfvo&list=PLWeT4k_U2PJDVjxR2x-jwiMb61Hb-FA92&index=2

First Lady Michelle Obama

Not to be missed is the keynote speech of our First Lady, Michelle Obama. A profound address that transcends and touches at so many levels. "Going high means standing fierce against hatred while remembering that we are one nation under God, and if we want to survive, we've got to find a way to live together and work together across our differences."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czn0nxFNy0Q&list=PLWeT4k_U2PJDVjxR2x-jwiMb61Hb-FA92&index=4

Democrats Abroad Roll Call Video

The roll call video watched around the world., Oour very own Global Chair, Julia Bryan, spoke on behalf of Democrats Abroad and the vital message of voting from abroad.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7F3ZLTG8Kk&list=PLWeT4k_U2PJDVjxR2x-jwiMb61Hb-FA92&index=5

Senator Elizabeth Warren

A compelling speech by Senator Warren addressing the issue of providing adequate childcare for working families.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71ZYxpmSyls&list=PLWeT4k_U2PJDVjxR2x-jwiMb61Hb-FA92&index=6

Senator Kamala Harris

Senator Harris’s acceptance speech as the first black and Indian woman to have been nominated for vice president by a major party.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JijFLcbIqMs&list=PLWeT4k_U2PJDVjxR2x-jwiMb61Hb-FA92&index=7

The 13-year old that overcame stuttering with the help of Joe Biden

A 13-year old that was befriended by Vice-President Joe Biden overcame stuttering. It is a powerful and heartfelt speech given by a brave young boy. It shows the empathy and caring nature of Joe Biden, who also had to overcome stuttering at a young age.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbDanLDO_rc&list=PLWeT4k_U2PJDVjxR2x-jwiMb61Hb-FA92&index=8

Joe Biden's Home-Run Acceptance Speech!

Vice-President Biden rises to this moment, an empathic and caring leader for all Americans.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ3Ssxe8vsw&list=PLWeT4k_U2PJDVjxR2x-jwiMb61Hb-FA92&index=9

Rarely has LOVE WITHOUT BORDERS received so much attention: The media reports about love in times of COVID-19 and the hurdles of seemingly insurmountable national borders which often separate families and deprive children of one parent.

"EHE OHNE OHNE GRENZEN" ("Marriage without Borders") has been supporting binational couples and families experiencing similar difficulties since 2006. But what distinguishes these couples from conventional families? Their different nationalities.

What means a state of emergency for some families in times of crisis is all too common for binational families, which encounter hurdles and clichés on a regular basis. Very often, they have to fight for a life together.

The Foreigners' Rights Act introduced in 2006 had a massive effect on the self-determination of binational couples in Austria. Marriage alone no longer establishes the right of residence and a joint family life.

Since then the initiative has been fighting against legal requirements that prevent binational families from being together. It has been providing free and confidential counselling for those affected. In 2019 alone, Marriage without Borders carried out more than 1300 consultations and thus helped numerous families with legal expertise.

Love does not stop at national borders. We declare 2020 to be the year of LOVE WITHOUT BORDERS, because it is time for love to grow beyond national borders. No family should be divided by the numerous barriers imposed by foreign law, which seriously endangers the well-being of children.

"Marriage without Borders" is based on the voluntary work of its members and depends on private donations. Every donation is an important contribution so that we can continue to bring families together in the future.

Thank you for your donation: https://www.respekt.net/de/projekte-unterstuetzen/details/projekt/2054/

http://www.ehe-ohne-grenzen.at

— Michael Wagner, DAA Call Hub Coordinator

In this Issue –

Events:

• July 4th Picnic in Graz
• 4th of July in the Park – Vienna
• Young Dems Open Mic
• Salzburg Meet-Up
• Linz Meet-Up
• Solidarity Sunday

Issues & Actions:

• DA Austria Sponsors Slovakia
• Gearing up for 2020 
  • Voter Registration Drives
  • DA Global Convention
• Global Black Caucus Summer Events
• Global Women's Caucus – Candidate Virtual Town Hall
• Are you waiting for your CARES Act aid payment?

Reviews:

• DAA at Black Lives Matter March
• Drag Queen Bingo Fundraiser Brings the Coin
• Dialing for Democracy Review
• Solidarity Sundays 34: Meet Our DNC Delegates & Police Reform

Our Executive Committee meetings are usually held on the second Wednesday of the month. However, our next meeting will be held online on: Wednesday, July 15, 2020, at 7 p.m.Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Jennifer at [email protected]for the link. 

DAA is making a strong effort to include in our monthly newsletter all the information you need to stay up to date in order to avoid the flood of emails that occurs in an election year. By sending you fewer emails, we hope you will read those you receive. Thanks for reading!

Events:

Issues & Actions:

DA Austria Sponsors Slovakia 

Democrats Abroad now allows for compliant country committees to “sponsor” countries that don’t have a country committee. Through the sponsorship DA Austria will provide Slovakia with essential voting information services, invitations to cross border events, and our monthly newsletter. 

The goal is to provide DA members in Slovakia with all the benefits of being a DA member. We’d like to heartily welcome you and look forward to meeting you in person. Until then, please follow us on our DA Austria website, Facebook Page, and Twitter and Instagram at #DemsAustria.

Vitajte!

Gearing up for 2020 —

Voter Registration Drive in Graz, Innsbruck, Linz, Vorarlberg & Vienna! 

We’ll be registering Americans to vote at various farmers markets and other venues over the summer. Please be sure to stop by and say hello and bring a friend to get them ready for November’s election. 

Feel the need to take action? Let us know if you can help us for a few hours at a voter registration table!

Americans living overseas must request their ballot in every calendar year they want to vote — yes, even if it’s normally sent to you automatically. Go to Vote From Abroad and request your ballot today and make sure to request it be sent to you by email!

Don’t procrastinate — ballots will be sent September 19. The time to request is now!

DA Global Convention

DPCA (Democratic Party Committee Abroad) representatives – these are the Chair, Vice Chair and voting reps from each country committee – met on Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7 to elect three Global DNC members, three At-Large Sanders delegates, one Sanders alternate delegate and one Biden alternate, and one PLEO (Party Leaders and Elected Officials).

We also approved the final draft of the DA platform – you can read it here: democratsabroad.org/platform 

Global Black Caucus Summer Events

• Webinar: On the Strategic Value of U.S. Reparations - Saturday, July 25, 2020, at 9:00 a.m.  EDT/3:00 p.m. CEST https://www.democratsabroad.org/bc_reparations_webinar

• Webinar: Black Lives Matter and COVID-19 - Tuesday, July 28, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. EDT/7:30 p.m. CEST https://www.democratsabroad.org/black_lives_matter_and_covid_19_webinar

• GBC Film Screening: American History X - Thursday, August 06, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. EDT/7:30 p.m. CEST https://www.democratsabroad.org/bc_american_historyx

• Webinar: Democrats Abroad Welcomes Malcolm Nance - Thursday, September 10, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. EDT/3:00 p.m. CEST https://www.democratsabroad.org/bc_malcolm_nance_webinar_20200910

The events are also on our Facebook page.

Check out the latest poems from our Laureates:

• BLACK LIVES MATTER- Written for the Vigil
• Feeling Vulnerable Amidst the Chaos- Written for Juneteenth

– Angela Fobbs, Chair, Global Black Caucu #BlackLivesMatter

Global Women's Caucus – Candidate Virtual Town Hall

This month, the Candidate Information Action Team is excited to preview an upcoming series of events: our Candidate Virtual Town Halls! The team has been working behind the scenes to connect with campaigns across the U.S. to bring these fabulous women virtually to your screen. Keep an eye on your inboxes and our social media pages to hear more about the candidates who will be joining us and how to attend these virtual events. 

Separately, our Women to Winseries features two Iowans this month: Theresa Greenfield is running to represent Iowa in the Senate, and Rita Hart is running to serve Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District in the House.

– Kaitlynn Newcomb, GWC Editor for Candidate Information 

READ MORE

Are you waiting for your CARES Act aid payment?  

More than ten weeks have passed since Congress passed the CARES Act, providing, among other things, aid to low income Americans to supplement their household income during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. According to the House Ways and Means Committee, the IRS has sent out nearly 160 million Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) – some by direct deposit (120 million), some by check sent by traditional mail (35 million), and some by mailed Visa debit card (4 million).

If you are eligible for an EIP but have not received it, it might still be coming.

– Carmelan Polce, Taxation Task Force

READ MORE

Reviews:

DAA at Black Lives Matter March

On Thursday, June 4 about 20 DA Austria members marched behind our Democrats Believe... banner and joined the ±50,000 marchers at the Black Lives Matter protest in Vienna. Holding an American flag above the crowd, DAA Global Black Caucus Chair, Faith Hall-Herbold, was interviewed by multiple news outlets. The most frequent question was, “Have you ever experienced police brutality in Vienna? And What do you say to someone who says all lives matter?” We’ll be discussing these questions and how we talk about race at our September Solidarity Sundays on September 26. 

Drag Queen Bingo Fundraiser Brings the Coin

Cherry Poppins, Drag Queen extraordinaire, served up the glamour in the fight for democracy Saturday, June 13. Joining from New York City, Cherry headlined the LGBT+ Caucus‘ fierce fundraiser on behalf of Democrats Abroad. Over 50 DA members from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa joined the online event. As people filled in bingo cards, Cherry entranced with show-stopping tunes, and bestowed witty repartee to all as well as prizes to three lucky members.

Juan Cerda, DA Austria Vice-Chair and LGBT Caucus leader, announced that the event raised $1,600 for DA’s important get-out-the-vote work. “It was an exceptional evening, with a diversity of LGBT+ families and allies coming together to celebrate and have fun playing bingo with our hostess Drag Queen. Cherry brought a lot of joy and laughter to our effort to register Americans to vote back home.”

You can catch Cherry‘s rendition of Liza Minnelli‘s “Maybe This Time” here:  https://youtu.be/xgWedIGYIX0. The New Yorker encouraged Americans living abroad to vote this November. In the spirit of Cherry, we urge you to register and vote from abroad so in November we can say, “GOP, sashay away!”

—Tanya Lolonis, DA Austria Solidarity Sundays Co-Chair

Dialing for Democracy 

We had 131 callers from 12 countries participating. In total, callers made 8,316 calls (!) to DA members worldwide between 9 a.m.-9 p.m. CEST on June 14 to remind them to request their absentee ballots. Many thanks to those of you who participated and/or encouraged members in your country committee to call.

Prior to the event, we asked callers to commit to making a certain number of calls, and to also ask friends and family to sponsor their calls (just like a fun run, except instead of running a 10K, participants were making X number of calls). We collectively raised over $18,000 for the DPCA through callers’ sponsorships. As of June 19, just over $10,000 has already been donated through the DA donation page, and we are following up with other sponsors to ask them to make their pledged donations. The money will help keep DA’s worldwide voter outreach going strong through November! Thank you to all who sought pledges or donated. If you’d like to make a contribution, please do so here: https://www.democratsabroad.org/d4d_flagday_callathon_fundraiser

– Candice Kerestan, Chair DA Germany

Solidarity Sundays 34: Meet Our DNC Delegates & Police Reform

Solidarity Sundays returned to Amerlinghaus after three months in cyberspace! We didn‘t cut the internet cord entirely: Vienna welcomed attendees joining us remotely from around Austria, Europe and Africa.

Democrats Abroad is "sending" a 26-member delegation to the Democratic National Convention in August. They will be raising our profile within the Democratic party with the message that DA voters are the margin of victory in close races. We met Biden delegates Miguel Madrigal (Costa Rica), Marisa Grimes (Rwanda), Onelica Andrade (Belgium) and Platform member Heather Stone (Israel). Sanders Delegate Ty Cofield joined us from Poland. The delegates were interviewed by our own Biden delegate, Juan Cerda, DA Austria’s Vice-Chair and LGBT Caucus head. They shared stories how they joined Democrats Abroad — and how two of them are busy building country committees and growing DA‘s reach into Eastern Europe and Africa. They are the youngest and most diverse DNC delegation ever to represent overseas Democratic voters. The future looks bright.

As Black Lives Matter protests continue in the States, Solidarity Sundays surveyed the architecture of policing practices and lack of accountability. We looked at two, big buckets of solutions to police violence. One bucket involves reducing the power of police by managing how they use force and police union contracts. The other involves shrinking their role: since only 5% of all arrests are for violent crime, activists call for offloading the majority of budget resources to other places.

Attendees learned how to press for action from local leaders back home using online tools developed by Campaign Zero. *You can change bad policy yourself in under 5 minutes.* Visit 8cantwait.org to demand action from your mayor, then visit joincampaignzero.org to demand your representatives vote for reform.

—Tanya Lolonis, DA Austria Solidarity Sundays Co-Chair

Request Your Absentee Ballot!

Have you requested your ballot yet? visit votefromabroad.org and make sure that you’re all set to receive your ballot since COVID-19 has affected mail service to the US.

And while you’re there, check out their State Voting Guide to find your local election information and stay on top of deadlines and submission rules for this year’s elections.

Also, our VfA Voter Help Desk maintains an extensive FAQ resource. If you can’t find the answer you need there, you are welcome to submit your question to the VfA team of experts and you receive a reply, usually within just a few hours.

Registering to vote now is the number one thing you can do to help save our democracy. Please do it today!

Thanks for reading.

Keep up with our events over the summer on our website or on Facebook. See you in September for our next issue!

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HOW TO VOTE FROM AUSTRIA

Who We Are 

Democrats Abroad is the official arm of the Democratic Party representing Americans who live outside the US. Our mission is to to provide Americans living in Austria a voice in our government and to elect Democrats by mobilizing the overseas vote.

Our Caucuses

We have several active caucuses that focus on specific progressive issues/groups:

• Black Caucus
• LGBTQ+
• Progressive Caucus
• Solidarity Sundays
• Women’s Caucus
• Youth Caucus

Our Activities

These range from monthly get-togethers, lectures, panel discussions, film screenings, and guest speakers to political rallies and marches!  And more…

Are you an American in Austria? Become a DA member!

We keep you informed.

Contact: [email protected]

In This Issue –

Events:

• #BlackLivesMatter Demonstration
• Phone Bank Training
• Pride Event – Drag Queen Bingo
• Meet & Greet – Getting Acquainted in the Provinces
• Linz Meet-Up
• Salzburg Meet-Up
• Solidarity Sunday
• July 4th Picnic in the Park

Issues & Actions:

• Asian American & Pacific Island Caucus
• Homeless in the Pandemic
• Gearing up for 2020 
  • Summer Internships
  • Regional Delegates & DNC Members
  • Voting News

Reviews:

• David Shor and Robert Reich Webinars
• Cleve Jones Webinar 
• Instagram Account

Our Executive Committee meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. The next meeting will be held online on: Wednesday, June 10, 2020, at 7 p.m.Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Jennifer at [email protected] for the link. 

DAA is making a strong effort to include in our monthly newsletter all the information you need to stay up to date in order to avoid the flood of emails that occurs in an election year. By sending you fewer emails, we hope you will read those you receive. Thanks for reading!

Events:

#BlackLivesMatter Demonstration l June 4, 5:00-8:00 p.m.

Phone Bank Training l June 4, CANCELLED for the demonstration!

Phone Bank Training l June 8, 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Pride Event – Drag Queen Bingo l June 13, 8:00 p.m.

Meet & Greet – Getting Acquainted in the Provinces l June 18, 5:00–6:00 p.m.

Linz Meet-Up l June 20, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Salzburg Meet-Up l June 26, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Solidarity Sundays: Meet & Greet your Delegates for DNC 2020 l June 28, 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Picnic in the Park l July 4, 1:00-4:00p.m. 

Issues & Actions:

Help Shape DA's Asian American & Pacific Island Caucus

You can get involved on the global, country, or local level. We are working on establishing this new caucus and are looking for individuals interested in shaping the direction of this caucus and organizing in their countries and chapters. If you’re interested, please fill out the form below and join us on our next call! https://forms.gle/7BhqZXw2e3LFtgdp9

Homeless in the Pandemic

As a social worker for homeless people in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, I'm often asked what it's like for my clients. There are three answers to that question: 

First, for people who are eligible for homelessness services, a truly wide and fairly high-quality network of help and housing exists. These are the adequately funded social structures that we so painfully miss in the US. 

— Antje Lewis, DAA member and Founding Mother

READ MORE

Gearing up for 2020 – 

Summer Communications & Marketing Internships

Democrats Abroad Austria is looking for dedicated interns for its communications and marketing committee. From content planning and social media management, to press outreach and structuring ad campaigns, Democrats Abroad is the perfect place to gain your first work experience and affect political change. Are you interested in U.S. electoral politics and looking for a summer internship? Apply at [email protected]

DA Delegates & DNC Members

The Global Presidential Primary

In March, Democrats Abroad members around the world voted in the Global Presidential Primary which determined the number of pledged delegates for candidates that crossed the 15% threshold. Bernie Sanders received 57.9% of the vote for 9 pledged delegates and Joe Biden received 22.7% of the vote for 4 pledged delegates.

The DA Regional Conventions

On Saturday, May 16, 2020, more than 200 electors logged onto their computers from around Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) in our first fully online regional convention.

READ MORE

Voting News 

Did you know that US overseas voters are legally required to request their ballot every calendar year they want to vote? In case of a recount, ballots without a current fpca  form could be discarded. Be sure to secure your ballot  — go to votefromabroad.org and re-register today!

👉 Phonebanking thousands of US voters across Austria is underway, to make sure those requests are in. Want to help make calls? Get started with phonebanking here. Or, join us at our online Training Session on June 8 at 4:00p.m.

👉 Need to register/request a ballot yourself? Go to www.votefromabroad.org.

👉 Do you have friends and family living overseas who might not have registered in 2020? Send them to www.votefromabroad.org. Friends make sure friends vote!

Please like, follow, and share DA Austria politics, activism, and elections news you can use on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Want to volunteer? Click here.

To donate to DA Austria: Click here.

THANK YOU for your support!

Reviews:

David Shor & Robert Reich Webinars

One of the many benefits that being a Democrats Abroad member provides is the fantastic guests that speak to our members. Anyone interested in hearing David Shor’s thoughts on the upcoming election and the best messaging to use to win voters will want to watch the recording. Robert Reich joined the webinar speaker series on May 29 and was heard by more than one thousand people around the world! Check it out here. 

Solidarity Sundays #33:  “Not My First Pandemic“

“The United States has changed profoundly in the last three months,”  began human rights activist Cleve Jones. We face a national crisis comparable to the Great Depression and World War Two. This time, however, the leadership to meet the challenge is invisible.

Joining the May 31 Solidarity Sundays meet-up online from Northern California, Jones related his experience of the HIV pandemic in the 1980s to highlight similarities with Covid-19 today. 

READ MORE

It’s all happening at #demsaustria

Have you visited Democrats Austria’s Instagram page recently? There is lots of interesting content, including answers to frequently asked voter questions, voting news, quizzes, and more. Be sure to visit today and don’t forget to follow us at #demsaustria!

Thanks for reading. 

See you in July for our next issue!

“The United States has changed profoundly in the last three months,”  began human rights activist Cleve Jones. We face a national crisis comparable to the Great Depression and World War Two. This time, however, the leadership to meet the challenge is invisible.

Joining the May 31 Solidarity Sundays meet-up online from Northern California, Jones related his experience of the HIV pandemic in the 1980s to highlight similarities with Covid-19 today. First, he explained, there was no “gay virus,” and there is no “Chinese virus” — everyone on the planet is effected by Covid. Second, both diseases revealed inequities in our culture. AIDS began among gay men in coastal cities, then moved swiftly south. In Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia, men of color succumbed in higher numbers than white men because they had poor healthcare and weakened immunity. Covid’s pattern:  while 30% of Georgians are African American, they represent 55% of Covid deaths.

Another worrisome parallel:  disinformation campaigns. In the 1980s, a vocal minority of HIV denialists grabbed at conspiracy theories to avoid changing their behavior. Ultimately, treatment, not behavior modification, reduced the AIDS death rate. Today, wearing masks has become a culture war statement; Jones points to this to predict that only development of treatment will vanquish Covid.

Attendees wanted to know whether HIV activism tactics are relevant in today‘s political and health crisis. ACT UP’s mixture of civil disobedience and street theater pressured pharmaceutical companies to develop HIV treatment. Those tactics are “absolutely useful”  today, Jones said. Shutting down airports, filing lawsuits, registering voters, letters to editors, being smart with social media — “they all work.”

Jones concluded on a personal note. “I have felt despair several times.”  He was a queer, suicidal 15-year-old when gay liberation — “learning there were people like me” — saved his life. Activism helped him cope in the dark days after the murder of his friend and mentor, Harvey Milk. And when gay men and Jones himself were dying of AIDS, ACT UP secured medical trials that saved his life. “Now,” he said, “it‘s time to save the life of our country.”  Whatever your gift — connections, skills, time, money — bring it to this struggle to defeat Republicans in November. “And bring joy. We‘re in this struggle for the long haul — you need joy to sustain you.

• Solidarity Sundays and Democrats Abroad’s LGBTQ Caucus co-hosted the  webinar. Eighty DA members from throughout Europe attended and contributed $1,000 to DA’s Get Out the Vote work. Stay tuned for the recording.
• America is hurting. Help register the 6 million Americans living abroad to vote in November by phone banking from home. Email:  [email protected]
• Check out this short BBC video of Cleve‘s monumental “Names“ Quilt:

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/stories-51969409/the-aids-quilt-that-showed-the-scale-of-suffering?fbclid=IwAR2h68-rnEfIrMcrPseUI95L0r7ZZHJR1KRBNAyVhAfgQB9HKlDjugHql54