In This Issue —
Events:
- Webinar with Valerie M. Hudson
- Black Caucus Book Club
- DA Austria Annual General Meeting
Issues & Actions:
- Annual General Meeting – In person & Online!
- DA Austria Survey
Midterm Election News:
- Are you an Ohio Voter?
- Battleground States Call Campaigns
- Voter Registration Tables
Reviews:
- Black Caucus Open Mic Night
Our Executive Committee meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. Our next meeting will be held online on: Wednesday, April 13, 2021, at 7 p.m. Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Richard at [email protected] to join.
Thanks for reading!
Message from the Chair –
We’ve all been immersed in the tragedy unfolding the last two weeks in Ukraine. Some Americans attended recent demonstrations in Vienna against the war, raising their voices on behalf of many of us. What stands out for me is the heroism of the Ukrainian people, men and women willing to stand in defense of their freedom and democracy. It makes me think of the threats to our own democracy in the United States, the ongoing efforts to disenfranchise voters and make it harder for people to carry out that very basic freedom to vote and have a voice in our government. People are literally fighting for their democracy, while some Republicans in the United States try to keep in power by erecting barriers to voting. Our democracy is precious and we have to keep fighting to preserve it. Exercise your freedom and right to vote. The first step is to request your ballot at votefromabroad.org.
— Richard Miller, Chair Democrats Abroad Austria
Events:
DAA BC Book Club
Afropean Notes from Black Europe by Johny Pitts Pic
When: March 20, 2022
Time: 16:00
Where: Online (could be hybrid)
Annual General Meeting
When: March 27
Time: 2pm CET
Where: SPÖ Neubau, Lindengasse 64, Vienna 1070
RSVP: DA Austria 2022 AGM
Issues & Actions:
Annual General Meeting
DA Austria is required by our By-Laws to hold an Annual General Meeting each year. We also have a quorum requirement to make the meeting valid. Please help us meet these challenges by joining us! Any American 18 or older by the next federal election and residing in Austria may join the meeting, become a member and vote on meeting business.
At the meeting we'll present brief reports on 2021 and discuss plans for getting out the vote for this year’s midterm elections. We also plan to have a wine tasting event immediately after the AGM with wines from the Seymann Winery. For those who can stay, we would like to organize a no-host post AGM dinner. Details to follow for those who RSVP!
Your participation, activism, and donations have made Democrats Abroad Austria a strong and vital organization for more than seventeen years. In 2022, we’ll continue working to strengthen the voice and vote of all our members.
Please RSVP for the Annual General Meeting here.
Thank you for your support,
– DA Austria Executive Committee
Member Survey 2022
Please take a few minutes to fill out our 8 question Member Survey! Your answers will help us to make some decisions as we ramp up efforts to get out the vote in 2022. Take the survey and you may just win one of our prizes, including a Democrats Abroad rainbow Pride t-shirt and other goodies! You will find the survey here.
Midterm Election News:
Are you an Ohio Voter?
The maps for Ohio’s new Congressional and state legislative districts are still before the Ohio Supreme Court. So the final shape of the districts, and the candidates running in them, are still unknown. But Ohio is going forward with the May 3 Primary election anyway.
Overseas ballots must go out by March 18, and the Dept of Defense denied Ohio’s request for an extension. Democrats Abroad is continuing to monitor the situation closely and we’ll let Ohio voters know of any changes.
But the message to Ohio voters is the same: Send in their registration/ballot request forms now, request your ballot be sent by email, look for your ballot coming on March 18, and mail back your voted ballots right away!
Battleground State Calling Campaigns
The overseas vote was the margin of victory in Georgia and Arizona in 2020 and we’re going to make sure to do it again in the upcoming midterms. Starting March 7 Democrats Abroad phone bank volunteers will be calling our members in Ohip, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia — all battleground states.
We need your help to reach our members! It’s easy and satisfying. We call DA members who are happy to get the reminder and DA covers the call costs. Also, you can make as many or as few as you like and when it fits your schedule. There are regular trainings to get you started and our DA Austria’s Phonebank Coordinator, Yvonne Richard, will answer your questions. Be part of the effort to fight for our democracy! Find out more here.
Your Vote is Your Voice
One of the DA’s core activities is to help Americans to register and return their ballots. The non-partisan Vote from Abroad website has up to date information so voters are best informed about their State’s regulations and deadlines. There is also a voter protection team that works with Local Election Officers and State Secretarys to solve issues that disenfranchise overseas voters.
Every election cycle we hear from overseas Americans and dual citizens who say they didn’t know they had the right to vote in Federal and even State elections. Help us to spread the word amongst your family, friends, and colleagues. And if there are Americans in your sport’s team, club, school, or place of worship, we’re happy to come by and help get them registered – regardless of their party affiliation. Contact the Vote from Abroad Coordinator at [email protected]
Reviews:
DA Black Caucus 4th Annual Open Mic Night
On Friday, February 25th, we closed out Black History Month with our 4th Annual Black Caucus Open Mic Night! What a turnout! We're honored to have shared the stage with performers from all over the world who shared their thoughts, poetry, spoken word and more -- a huge thanks to everyone who joined, performed and donated!
Up next: Black Caucus Book Club! This month we're reading Afropean by Johny Pitts, an on-the-ground documentary of areas where Europeans of African descent are juggling their multiple allegiances and forging new identities. Join us on Sunday, March 20th from 4-6pm. Please be sure to register online for the Zoom link!
Thank you for reading the March Newsletter!
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