In This Issue —
Events:
- How to Survive Tax Day as an American Abroad
- Experienced Dems Meet-up
- Reparations and the Black Vote
Issues & Actions:
- January 15 is International Voter Registration Day
- Democrats Abroad Tax Advocacy
- ‘22 Wins = ‘23 Momentum
Inside DA Austria:
- Save the Date!
- It’s All Happening at #demsaustria
- We Can’t Win Without You!
Our Executive Committee meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. Our next meeting will be held in person and online on: Wednesday, January 11, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Richard 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!
Message from the Chair
When I was at the Silvesterpfad on New Year Eve, a TV reporter put a microphone in my face and asked me what I’ll remember most about 2022, and my resolutions for 2023. I fumbled with an answer in German, but what was truly on my mind was not really meant for an Austrian audience. It is really geared to you.
Of course, 2022 was a calamitous year, with the war in Ukraine, floods in Pakistan, drought and famine in the Sahel and Horn of Africa, and the soaring cost of living affecting people globally. The results of the US midterm elections were a welcomed bright spot, and Democrats Abroad played a part in making that happen - one that we can all be proud of. Defying history to retain our majority in the Senate was a great achievement (and relief). However, the House Speaker fiasco on display last week was a preview of what we can expect with a divided government over the next two years. We will have to work hard in 2024.
I am truly grateful for all the Democrats Abroad Austria volunteers who gave so much of their time and energy to support our mission and rally the overseas vote in 2022. It may be hard to imagine but Austria has some of the most active phone bankers in all of DA - logging some 12,000 calls last year. One of those phone bankers, Marjorie Rosenberg of Graz, made 5,000 of those calls! She and the many others - Yvonne, Susan, Robert, Bruce, Tom (to name a few) - are among the heroes who helped save and preserve US democracy. (More shouts out in our achievements section, below).
What has been hard is that many key volunteers left Austria in 2022, leaving big gaps to fill. My heartfelt thanks to my vice chair, Faith Herbold, who left Austria early in the new year to begin a new chapter with her family in New Zealand! I am so grateful for her drive, leadership and contribution over many years for DA Austria (and am particularly thankful that she can rap). The departure of Faith and others means we are in need of new volunteers, especially people willing to run for election to serve on our Executive Committee (more on that later).
I think we know individual New Year's Resolutions are rarely kept. But perhaps we can have a collective one - that we resolve to contribute, in ways large and small, to ensure Democrats Abroad Austria remains a vibrant community of Americans and that we are ready for even greater activism and success in 2024!
Events:
Monthly Executive Committee Meeting
When: Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Where: Online. Contact Richard ([email protected]) for the link.
How to Survive Tax Day as an American Abroad
When: Wednesday, January, 11
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Online RSVP
Experienced Dems Meet-up
When: Tuesday, January, 17
Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Where: Café Museum, Operngasse 7, Vienna 1010
Reparations and the Black Vote
When: Saturday, January, 28
Time: 4:00-5:30 p.m.
Where: Online RSVP
Annual General Meeting & Executive Committee Elections
When: Sunday, March, 19
Time: TBA
Where: In-Person and Online
Issues & Actions:
January 15 is International Voter Registration Day
Help raise awareness that Americans need to request absentee ballots every calendar year! Go to VoteFromAbroad.org today. The Federal Voting Assistance Program estimates that only 16% of eligible Americans voted in the 2020 elections and only 7% worldwide. We can do much better than that. Overseas Americans are protected by the UOCAVA Act and Move Act which protects the right to vote and provides special provisions–including receiving an absentee ballot 45 days before an election–for overseas voters. Voting is our Right and votes from abroad have been the margin of difference in close elections.
Every election cycle, we hear from voters who didn’t receive their ballot, were taken off the voter rolls, or forgot to update their voting records; every election cycle, we spend countless volunteer hours, donations, and energy reminding our members to vote.
This year, help us help you. Go to VoteFromAbroad.org and update your ballot request. You’ll receive ballots for some critical elections in 2023. And remind your family members, work colleagues, and those in your community to do the same.
Democrats Abroad Tax Advocacy
In late 2022 DA’s Taxation Taskforce (TTF) finished a comprehensive report, the Update on Tax and Financial Access Issues of Americans Abroad to bring attention to these issues to our representatives at home. The report enabled the TTF to meet with the Treasury, IRS, and the Joint Committee on Taxation in Congress. They’ve also spoken to UK Finance and are due to speak to EU Banking Federation.
You can get involved and help DA make an impact!
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Get the 2022 Tax Report to your Members of Congress in three quick and easy steps:
- Find your two Senators and one House Representative’s Washington DC office phone numbers
- **Call** their offices
- Send 3 emails
Detailed instructions are here: https://www.democratsabroad.org/help_share_tax_report_with_your_reps_today
- Become a tax ambassador for DA Austria! Contact Richard at [email protected] or Rebecca at [email protected] to find out how to get involved.
- Join the How to Survive Tax Day as an American Abroad on Wednesday, Jan 11, 2023 7:30 pm (Austria) RSVP: democratsabroad.org/SurviveExpatTax
‘22 Wins = ‘23 Momentum
(excerpt from International Chair email)
From Tokyo to Johannesburg, Stockholm to Mexico City, Democrats Abroad kept organizing and persevering throughout 2022. Our dedicated volunteers made over 250,000 phone calls, sent over 500,000 texts, organized thousands of in-person and virtual events, and provided voting assistance nearly round the clock. The result: We defied all odds and elected Democrats to key positions nationwide, putting us on strong footing for both the next legislative session and the 2024 election cycle.
Some noteworthy firsts at Democrats Abroad in 2022
Our volunteers around the world worked to:
- Form Battleground State Teams and a state-specific communications strategy, providing tailored voting and candidate information and organizing over 100 state- and issue-specifc events for voters to learn more about who and what was on the ballot.
- Get published in major U.S. media outlets, including Time, Teen Vogue, and NPR.
- Expand overseas voting rights at the state level, reinstating the right for New Jerseyans abroad to vote in state-level elections.
- Gain official representation within the Young Democrats of America, creating new avenues for young voters to get involved from abroad and spread the word about DA in collegiate and young professional networks stateside.
- Advocate on behalf of the U.S. and dual citizen community abroad, including meeting with President Biden directly to share perspectives and needs from our unique constituency.
Some noteworthy achievements at Democrats Abroad Austria in 2022
- Democrats Abroad Austria had the third highest percentage rate of members going to VoteFromAbroad.org to request their ballot (44.64%, or 826 members)
- Our DA Austria phone bankers logged more than 12,000 calls in 2022
- Our “Experienced Dems” group returned to meeting in person! A big thanks to John Cahill for organizing the Experienced Dems meet-ups and keeping the group active,
- We held some great events in 2022, namely for Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and our Punsching for Democracy in December.
- We again held an Austria focused calling campaign, followed by a postcard campaign to battleground state voters and then again for the Georgia runoff.
Inside DA Austria:
Save the Date!
Annual General Meeting & Executive Committee Elections
Fresh voices, energy, and ideas — save the date! On Sunday, March 19, 2023 DA Austria members will meet in person and 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!
It’s All Happening at #demsaustria
We’re looking for someone to help run our DA Austria’s Instagram page and social media channels. This is a great resume building opportunity. Be sure to visit today and don’t forget to follow us at #demsaustria!
We Can’t Win Without You!
DA Austria is looking to strengthen our teams so we can hit the ground running for important Special Elections in 2023 and the presidential election in 2024.
Have an hour to spare? We are looking for volunteers in all areas and with any time availability. Find out more information about how to join our team.
Do you have an idea? We're looking for suggestions on how we can connect with more Americans in Austria, find places to advertise, events to have, and any suggestions you have to get more people to vote. Bookmark this link and submit your ideas at any time.