In This Issue —
Events:
- Global Presidential Primary Voting Centers
- DAATalks with Eric Frey and Raimund Löw
- Annual General Meeting
Global Presidential Primary:
- Come for Democracy; Stay for Community
- Who Can Vote in the GPP?
- Vote Remotely from Outside of Vienna
- Dream of Being a Delegate?
- Five Reasons to Vote in the Global Primary
Inside DA Austria:
- DA Austria’s Annual General Meeting
- Thank You Phone Bankers!
- Welcome to DAA's Executive Committee
Issues and Actions:
- Why Use the Federal Postcard Application on Vote from Abroad?
Review:
- 2024 Kitchen Table Talks
- An Evening at the Theater for Black History Month
Our Executive Committee meetings are usually held on the second Thursday of the month. However, our next meeting will be held in person and online at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 14. Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Richard at [email protected] for the address and meeting link.
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!
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Events:
DAATalks with Eric Frey and Raimund Löw
When: Saturday, March 9, 2024
Where: Webster University, Praterstrasse 23, 1020 Vienna
Time: 5:00–6:30 p.m.
RSVP: DAATalks
DA’s Global Presidential Primary
When: Tuesday, March 5, and Saturday, March 9, 2024
Time: 3:00–8:00 p.m. on Tuesday; 2:00–7:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Where: Webster University, Praterstrasse 23, 1020 Vienna.
Read more about the GPP below.
RSVP:
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Saturday, March 9, 2024
Annual General Meeting
When: Sunday, March 17, 2024
Time: 3:00–5:00 p.m.
Where: SPÖ Neubau, Lindengasse 64, 1070 Vienna
RSVP: https://www.democratsabroad.org/at_2024_03_agm
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The 2024 Global Presidential Primary:
Come for Democracy; Stay for Community
U.S. 2024 Election – Implications for Democracy at Home and Abroad
Democrats Abroad Austria is honored to host a panel discussion on Saturday, March 9, as part of the Democrats Abroad Global Presidential Primary.
Dr. Eric Frey, senior editor of der Standard; Dr Raimund Löw, foreign policy expert at ORF and Falter Radio podcast host; and Dr. Samuel Schubert, Professor of International Relations at Webster University, will discuss the significance of the US election and its broader implications for democracy, both domestically in the US and internationally. The discussion will be held in English.
Grab a glass wine and give a toast to democracy!
Please come cast your vote for democracy and enjoy a glass of local, Austrian wine. Seymanns Weinhandwerkerei—an artisan, organic, biodynamic, and sustainable wine purveyor from the Pulkautal in the Austrian Weinviertel—will be offering wine tasting as well as selling wine by the glass and bottle on Tuesday, March 5, from 5 p.m to 8 p.m., and on Saturday, March 9, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Who Can Vote in the GPP?
The Democrats Abroad Global Presidential Primary (GPP) runs from March 5 to March 12, 2024, at voting centers around the world to help select the next Democratic presidential candidate.
Democrats Abroad will send delegates to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in August 2024, reflecting our primary results. These delegates will be elected at our regional and global conventions in May, 2024.
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Primary Voters must meet the following criteria to vote:
- Reside abroad and be a US Citizen
- Be a member of Democrats Abroad
- Be 18 as of November 5, 2024
- Not have voted, or plan to vote, in any other 2024 state presidential primary.
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Voters may vote in person at voting centers around the world between March 5 and March 12, 2024.
- DA Austria’s voting center will be at Webster University on March 5 and March 9. RSVP on DAA’s event page.
- DA Austria’s voting center will be at Webster University on March 5 and March 9. RSVP on DAA’s event page.
- Remote primary ballots will be available from February 13, 2024 through March 12, 2024.
- Voters may register and request their primary ballot via VoteFromAbroad.org or via a google form
- Democrats Abroad allows same-day registration and ballot requests for voters participating in the Global Presidential Primary.
Vote Remotely from Outside of Vienna
DA Austria has thousands of members who live outside of Vienna. Show us your numbers by voting remotely by email, post, or fax in the Global Presidential Primary – it’s easy! Find out more here: https://www.democratsabroad.org/atgpp24
Dream of Being a Delegate?
Democrats Abroad will send 21 delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from Aug 19–21. Have you always dreamt of standing in the big convention hall with all those balloons and casting a vote for the next POTUS? Find out more about the Global Presidential Primary and how you can run to be a delegate here: https://www.democratsabroad.org/2024primary.
Why Vote in DA's Global Primary?
ONE: Our strength is in numbers, and by making our voices heard loudly, we make the issues that matter to us known.
TWO: A vote in the Global Presidential Primary has greater weight than it does in a voter’s “home” state party—up to 4 times more!
THREE: The more we vote, the more representation we have, and improves achieving some of our most important policy goals.
FOUR: Sheer turnout – raw numbers – really does matter, that’s why all Americans abroad should vote in the Global Presidential Primary.
FIVE: It’s the week of Super Tuesday, it’s fun, you can vote in person, and you’ll get an I VOTED sticker!
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Inside DA Austria:
Mark your Calendar! DA Austria’s Annual General Meeting
We’re looking forward to engaging with members and volunteers during the annual meeting. Come meet DA Austria’s current leaders and learn what the organization has been doing in 2023 and the strategic plan for 2024. This will be an opportunity for our membership and the broader community to add your voice as we set our course for 2024.
We look forward to seeing you at DA Austria’s AGM on March 17 in 1070 Vienna. RSVP: https://www.democratsabroad.org/at_2024_03_agm
Welcome to DA Austria Executive Committee
DAA Chair, Richard Miller, appointed two members to fill vacant Member-at-Large positions to be confirmed during the Annual General Meeting on March 17. Thank you Brett Carnito (former DAA Secretary) and Bill Holaday (longtime supporter) for adding your skills to the team as we go into such an important election year!
Thank You Phone Bankers!
You may have received a phone call from one of DA Austria's Call Hub volunteers in January or February. These dedicated volunteers spent tens of hours calling all of DA Austria's members—almost 2,000 of them! Other DA committees may have one or two super callers who do the work, but Austria has a fantastic group of seven volunteers led by Phone Bank Coordinator, Yvonne Richard. A big shout out to Yvonne and her team—Marjorie, Susan, Renee, Michael, Richard, and Caitlin!
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Issues & Actions:
Why Use the Federal Postcard Application on Vote from Abroad?
Overseas voters should request their ballot in each calendar year to ensure they receive a ballot and their vote will be counted. Requesting your ballot with a Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) via Vote from Abroad provides you as a voter with state voting information that has been checked to be accurate and up to date.
But the service VFA provides goes even further: trained volunteers at Vote from Abroad provide voter help through our 1:1 voter help Zoom Rooms, DA hires a voter protection expert to work with voters when they think they’ve been disenfranchised or unable to vote, and DA advocates with state legislatures to expand ballot access and voting rights for US citizens abroad.*
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Review:
2024 Kitchen Table Talks
A big shout out to Tanya Lolonis and Bruce Murray who held a Kitchen Table Talk on January 30 and February 11. Each KTT discussed three issues which were then submitted to DA’s Platform Committee. That committee will consider suggestions from KTTs which have taken place around the world and write DA’s Platform Proposal to be sent to the DNC. Many thanks to Danny Chicago who played a number of motivating songs at the February 11 discussion.
Opening a space for dialogue is where DA Austria is at its best. Thank you to all those who participated and organized!
An Evening at the Theater for Black History Month
DA Austria held its annual theater fundraiser for Black History Month. Fifteen DA members attended a Vienna Theatre Project production of the play N about the groundbreaking casting of Charles Gilpin in Eugene O’Neill’s The Emperor Jones and enjoyed a glass of sekt and a private Q&A with the actors and director afterwards. The VTP puts together top quality, politically topical productions and the evening did not fail to raise a discussion around the use of the N word, the slave origin of many Black Americans’ surnames, and the many Black trailblazers that history has forgotten. Thank you Joanna and the cast your time!
Everyone had a good time and we raised about $300 for our 2024 get out the vote effort!
Thank you for reading the March Newsletter!