Keep our DNC Members accountable to their members! Even now, every vote matters!

UPCOMING 2020 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTIONS

See the full list of upcoming primary elections, including for federal and state-level positions.

Read more

Coronavirus Aid for Americans Abroad

Thanks to the Corona Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, relief is being distributed for working people amongst the current pandemic crisis. We have done the research, and Democrats Abroad wanted to let you know that Americans living abroad who filed their taxes and made a gross income of less than $99,000 are eligible for the relief under the package! You can receive up to $1,200 (plus $500 for each child) to help with everything going on right now. Furthermore, Americans with federal student loans automatically have their interest rate set to 0% for 60 days and can request a 60-day payment suspension.

Click here for more details on the act. 

 

Delegates for Democratic National Convention

Democrats Abroad will send 21 delegates to the National Convention in Milwaukee on August 17th. The deadline to apply for a delegate position is April 17th. This is a great honor and among the most important civic roles for U.S. citizens living abroad. Any DA member is eligible to run, and the Affirmative Action Committee strongly emphasizes the importance of DA members from historically-underrepresented backgrounds to run as delegate candidates in showing the world the diversity of our Party and our members around the world.

Forms to declare delegates’ candidacy are now available online. 

Japan Voting Center Provisional Results

Global Presidential Primary 2020 

John A. Baumlin Jr, National Chair of Democrats Abroad Japan

Yesterday, on March 8th, 2020, voters gathered in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya to cast their ballots. No challenges were reported to the voting centers, indicating a successful and fluid operation for the Voting Centers in Japan. The provisional results from each Voting Center in Japan and totals are below: 

Provisional Results Breakdown

Total Voting Center Provisional Results

Joseph R. Biden	24 Votes
☑ Bernie Sanders	176 Votes
Elizabeth Warren	11 Votes
Andrew Yang	1 Vote

Kanto Voting Center (Tokyo) Provisional Results

Joseph R. Biden	16 Votes
☑ Bernie Sanders	94 Votes
Elizabeth Warren	6 Votes
Andrew Yang	1 Vote

Kansai Voting Center (Osaka) Provisional Results

Joseph R. Biden	7 Votes
☑ Bernie Sanders	54 Votes
Elizabeth Warren	4 Votes

Tokai Voting Center (Nagoya) Provisional Results

Joseph R. Biden	1 Votes
☑ Bernie Sanders	28 Votes
Elizabeth Warren	1 Votes

Special Thanks

Special thanks to our voting center volunteers and observers, who took great precautions in our voting centers for the safety of our membership. 

Vote Remotely!

A note that if you could not attend yesterday - you can still cast your ballot remotely by March 10th at midnight Pacific Time (GMT -7). Many people will vote remotely due to safety concerns regarding COVID-19, and they will be counted when the official Democrats Abroad global results are announced later this month.

To vote remotely, please visit and follow the instructions at: https://www.democratsabroad.org/primary 

 

Corona Virus Advisory for Voting Centers

The safety of all our members is very important to us at Democrats Abroad Japan. In order to combat the threat of rising infection of COVID-19, effective immediately, we are implementing the following safety precautions for all of our upcoming in-person voting events in coordination with local ordinance for the month of March, 2020.

• Each volunteer at our Ballot Assistance Events and Voting Centers is to wear proper preventative supplies (such as masks, gloves, etc) to reduce direct contact with others. Please coordinate with your voting center manager about reimbursements for these supplies.

• All volunteers and venue assistants are asked to be vigilant about spreading out lines and keeping people within a reasonable distance of one another if any centers reach a high volume.

• We ask all members in the Hokkaido region to suspend all in-person activities for the next 3 weeks in accordance with the State of Emergency for that region.

• All members, if you are sick with cold or flu-like symptoms, have children, are elderly, or otherwise at high risk, we recommend that you please follow the instructions below regarding remote voting.

Remote Voting

Remote voting for the 2020 Global Presidential Primary is now open. You can follow the steps here to download your ballot and submit it via e-mail. If you'll be spending some extra time at home this week, it's the perfect time to cast your ballot right at home from your PC! You can find a full guide about all the ways you can vote in the primary and voting center information here.

We are working closely with our global leadership throughout this period. Please contact jp-chair@democratsabroad.org for any further information.

 

Primary Voting is finally here!

That means we can all choose a presidential candidate to vote for in the Global Presidential Primary for Democrats Abroad!

First make sure you are a member of Democrats Abroad and have an account, and here’s all the ways you can do it!

Cast a Primary Ballot Online!

The fastest method!

The fastest way to cast your ballot is to do it remotely from your PC and e-mail it in! It’s quick and easy to get a ballot filled out and sent over to Democrats Abroad Global, and you don’t even need to be a resident of Japan - any member of Democrats Abroad can cast their ballot this way! Voting is open until March 10th, but don’t wait!

Follow the steps here to download your ballot and submit it via e-mail!

Cast a Primary Ballot at a Voting Center on Sunday, March 8th, 2020!

The easiest method!

If you live near a population center, you can come to a voting center! A voting center can help you with all your options for the 2020 election!

When you go to a voting center you can get help with the following options!
- Voting in the Global Presidential Primary!
- Requesting a Ballot from your State for the 2020 General Election!
- Verifying your Democrats Abroad Membership!
- & Joining Democrats Abroad if you’re a new voter and it’s your first time reading anything like this! We will be there to help!

We will have three voting centers open on Sunday, March 8th, 2020! Here’s the location with a Google Maps pin to each!

Kanto Voting Center (Tokyo)
Tokyo GS Heim Satō Bldg
GS Heim Satō Bldg #302, Yoyogi, 2-7-6, Shibuya-Ward, Tokyo
(JP): 東京都渋谷区代々木2-7-6 GSハイム佐藤ビル302
Voting Center Google Maps Pin: http://goo.gl/maps/ttkpwrWxCdZgCwaw7
Time: 12:00PM to 7:00PM

Kansai Voting Center (Osaka)
Sauce Boss Osaka
1-chōme-5-13 Kitahorie, Nishi-ku, Osaka, 550-0014
(JP): 大阪府 大阪市西区 北堀江 1-5-13 550-0014
Voting Center Google Maps Pin: http://g.page/saucebossosaka
Time: 12:00PM to 9:00PM

Tokai Voting Center (Nagoya)
Shooters Sports Bar & Grill
Nagoya-shi, Naka-ku, Sakae 2-9-26 Pola Building 2F 460-0008
(JP): 〒460-0008 Aichi, Nagoya, Naka Ward, Sakae, 2 Chome−9−26
ポーラ名古屋ビル
Voting Center Google Maps Pin: http://goo.gl/maps/ByxvJrffXZMM8tNRA
Time: 12:00PM to 7:00PM

Send a Primary Ballot via Snail Mail!

The Traditional Method!

If you don’t have reliable computer access or just want to mail it out, our Remote Ballot Warden, Dave, is here to help out! You can mail a remote ballot directly to him and as long as it’s received by 9:00PM JST on Wednesday, March 11th, 2019. That means you should mail it right away!

Mail your filled out ballot to:
Dave Brauer
6-40-4 Todoroki
Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan 158-0082

or, Fax it to:
+1 (202) 217-4277 by 11:59PM Tuesday, March 10th, 2019

That’s everything!

Remember that casting a primary ballot is internal to the party, and you can still request you 2020 General Election Ballot by visiting VoteFromAbroad.org! Do that first if you’ve never voted overseas before!

Happy voting!

The 2020 Democratic primary elections are already here – and the general election is fast approaching! Update your voter registration and submit your ballot request now to make sure you receive a ballot for every election you’re eligible for in 2020!

 

Register and Request Your Ballot Now!

Even if you are already registered to vote, you must submit a ballot request to your local election officials in order to receive your overseas ballot for each calendar year in which you intend to vote. You only need to submit it once to receive all ballots for all eligible elections in 2020, so send it in as soon as possible!

 

Make a NEW ballot request for 2020 — send your form as early as Jan. 2, 2020.

1. Go to www.votefromabroad.org to register to vote and complete the Ballot Request form (FPCA).
   We recommend that you choose to receive your ballot by EMAIL or ONLINE to get it fastest.
2. Follow the instructions to attach your signature online, or print out the completed form to sign it.
3. Send the signed FPCA to your election official.
   To request an absentee ballot, registered voters can EMAIL, FAX or MAIL the FPCA.

• After you send in your form, be sure to email or call your Local Election Official to verify they received it and will be sending a ballot to you. You can find contact information for your election official using the State Voting Guide on VoteFromAbroad.org or on the instructions printed with your completed form.
• If you use the FPCA to request a ballot, only one form submission is needed to cover all 2020 elections, including the November 3 general election.
• You can expect to receive your ballot 45 days before the election. Send your FPCA as early as January 2, 2020 to get all your ballots as soon as they are available. Mark your calendar: the November ballot will be sent to you by September 19.

 If you have any questions while filling out the form on VoteFromAbroad.org, click the orange chat box button on the lower right corner of the screen to send a question to the Voter Help Desk.

 

2020 Democratic Presidential Primaries

• To vote in your state’s Democratic Party presidential primary election, go to www.votefromabroad.org and submit your Ballot Request form as soon as possible. If your state’s registration deadline for the primary has not already passed, you will receive your primary ballot as soon as it is available. Make sure to submit it well in advance of the “Received by” deadline.
• State-By-State 2020 Primary Elections Calendar: https://www.democratsabroad.org/2020_primaries
• If it is too late to receive a ballot for your state’s Democratic presidential primary, you can still vote in the Democrats Abroad Global Presidential Primary on March 8, 2020.

 

Democrats Abroad Global Presidential Primary

 We will host our primaries in Japan on March 8th, 2020, with voting center locations in Kanto, Tokai, and Kansai. 

• Same-day in-person voter registration
• Voting by email or postal mail also available from February 18, 2020
• Even if you vote in the Global Presidential primary, you can still vote in your state’s downballot primary elections! If all positions are listed on the same ballot in your state’s primary, just leave the President field blank and vote only for the downballot positions.

 

Get Out the Vote!

 Looking to get involved this year? Join our Get Out the Vote (GOTV) team and help register voters in Japan and around the world!

• Attend our Annual General Meeting on February 8th, 2020 for GOTV training and more information about the primaries.
• If you can’t attend on February 8th or want to start volunteering as soon as possible, email our GOTV Chair Rebecca at rebecca.democratsabroadjapan@gmail.com to sign up!

2019 may be winding down, but your Executive Committee (ExCom) is getting fired up! 2020 is a critical election year, with the Global Presidential Primary (GPP) in March and the Presidential Election in November. It is imperative to get Americans living abroad registered and ready to vote for the sake of our democracy. Get Out The Vote efforts are crucial, and we call on our membership to help make this happen.

1. The Democrats Abroad Global Presidential Primary will be held from March 3rd until March 10th for Americans living abroad to vote for their Democratic candidate. This is essential in giving Americans abroad the opportunity to make their voices heard. In Japan, we will set up voting centers for the GPP in Kanto, Kansai, and Tokai. Running these voting centers successfully requires the support of volunteers, such as greeters, voter registration assistants, and Democrats Abroad registration assistants. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact DAJ Secretary Anna Costello at anna.democratsabroadjapan@gmail.com.

2. As of December 10th, we have achieved 45% of our fundraising goal! Our matching campaign closes on December 27th, so there’s time to double your money and reach our goal of funding a campaign the size of 2008 at 1 million yen! Donations to DAJ will be used to fund the GPP, Get Out the Vote activities, and anything else required to help achieve victory in 2020! Information on how to donate can be accessed here: https://www.democratsabroad.org/daj_fundraising_2019

3. Thank you for attending our Thanksgiving events in Kanto and Tokai! Traditionally, the DAJ Thanksgivings events have been our largest social and fundraising gatherings. This year was no exception, with both events having close to 70 attendees combined and raising over 135,000 yen. We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

4. Women’s March: We need people to set up and manage the DAJ participation on January 18th. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact DAJ Secretary Anna Costello at anna.democratsabroadjapan@gmail.com.

5. The Democrats Abroad Affirmative Action Committee is conducting a diversity and inclusion survey, open to all members of Democrats Abroad. The survey is approximately 3-5 minutes long and can be accessed here: https://demsabroad.typeform.com/to/VGYo1c

Have a happy holiday and get ready for 2020!

Sincerely,
Anna Costello
DAJ Secretary

For the October 2019 - March 2020 Period

The Current Situation 

• There are 50,000 United States Citizens living in Japan, but only ~3,100 are Democrats Abroad Japan (DAJ) Members. 
• Of those ~3,100 members, fewer than 5% are actively volunteering, and resources for the activists to run training sessions and engage membership are insufficient. 
• Democrats Abroad Japan has major obligations and plans that need funding, in particular, we must stage the Global Presidential Primary, which needs polling stations, advertising, and GoTV. 
• The DAJ National Bank Account was below $500 in funds after membership certification. 

Proposed Budget

Our administration is very transparent about how money is spent, and you can publicly check our national ledger at any time. Here’s how your donation will help:

• We currently plan to open three polling stations on Honshuu, one in each of the population centers of Kanto (Tokyo), Kansai (Osaka), and Tokai (Nagoya). In 2016 we registered hundreds of new members on polling day, and with more funding, we hope to triple those gains by hosting voting centers in more areas next year. 
• Print Advertising - The Japan Times, Stars and Stripes, and American Chamber of Commerce in Japan have many readers both online and in deliverables, for both primary and general elections. 
• Phone Banking - These are campaigns all members can easily engage in.
• Debates and Event Hosting - By being able to subsidize the cost of food and attendance, we can reach younger members who have more time than money to donate. 
• Operating Expenses - Keeping in physical communication helps keep our activists dedicating their time. 

National ExCom Donation Matching

Read more

On October 20th, 2019 in Tokyo, Democrats Abroad Japan (DAJ) hosted their first policy forum: the Policy Forum on Restoring American Democracy and U.S. Leadership. This policy forum served as the beginning of DAJ platform discussion and the lead-up to the 2020 election.

Americans gathered to discuss key policy issues bound to affect all Americans. The forum featured four speakers, including former leaders in the United States Government and the Democratic Party Committee Abroad (DPCA), who spoke on the direction of such issues.

The Unity Reform Commission - the document that contains everything the Democratic Party learned after 2016 - brought them together. This wasn't a time for minor differences on how to advance health care - it was about the major issues that face the entire party, regardless of who the presidential nominee would be.

Ambassador Robert Orr (Former United States Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank) kicked off the discussion, helping people understand the reality America's international presence and discussing how to rebuild international relationships.

Democrats Abroad (DA) Progressive Caucus Co-Chair, Democratic Party Committee Abroad (DPCA) Representative, and Former DAJ Vice Chair Gordon Gaul informed the forum of different organizations approach to fixing democracy, getting money out of politics, and the different approaches each of them are taking.

Tsukuba-based activist Cheryl Okubo gave a real-life look at the issue of Climate Change and what people can do better in not just policy, but their own lives to improve this issue.

Former International DA Counsel and Form DAJ Chair Tom Schmid finished off the discussion with a talk on the history and way forward for the Supreme Court.

Current DAJ Chair John Baumlin facilitated the discussion for these topics. In kicking off the DAJ platform discussion, he gave a public initiative to all chapters and members of DAJ to send feedback to the DAJ Executive Committee for 2020. 

Important 2019 Voting Abroad Information for KY, LA, MS, NJ, VA Voters

Five states — Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia — will hold General Elections in November 2019 for state executive offices, state legislative offices or both.

Because of the Trump administration’s plan to withdraw from the Universal Postal Union (UPU) treaty mid-October 2019, postal mail from abroad back to the US may experience delays and price increases. To make sure you can successfully cast your ballot in your state's elections this year, the Get Out the Vote Committee at DAJ is recommending voters from these states register to vote and request their ballot IMMEDIATELY.

For more information on how withdrawal from the Universal Postal Union will affect your overseas vote, see http://www.democratsabroad.org/upu.

Urgent information for Louisiana voters:

There is still time to register to vote for the Gubernatorial Primary if you register online (this requires state ID) by this Saturday, SEPTEMBER 21st.

The Gubernatorial Primary will be held October 12th; overseas ballots must be received before October 12th, 8pm CST (Oct. 13th, 10am JST).

Louisiana Online Voter Registration: http://voterportal.sos.la.gov/VoterRegistration

Register and Request Your Ballot: http://www.votefromabroad.org/states/LA

Register and request your ballot now - State by State Information!

For those states that do not allow ballot return using email or fax, please vote and mail back your ballot immediately to avoid any disruption in mail service after October 17th.

Louisiana

Elections: Governor, Lt. Gov, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Senate and State House.

Louisiana voters: For the primary election, register online by September 21, request your ballot immediately, and MAIL it back before October 12. For the general election, contact your election office for permission to use fax to return your ballot.

Primary Election

●Voter Registration: Received by (Online, requires state ID) September 21
●Ballot Request: Received by (EMAIL, FAX or MAIL) Mon, October 11, before 4:30pmCST
●Ballot Return: Received by (MUST MAIL) Tuesday, October 12, 2019, before 8pm CST
●Guber. Primary: Tuesday, October 12, 2019

General Election

●Voter Registration: Postmarked by (MAIL) or Received by (EMAIL or FAX) Tues., October 16 or Received by (Online, requires state ID) Tuesday, October 26
●Ballot Request: Received by (EMAIL, FAX or MAIL) Mon., Nov. 15, before 4:30pm CST
●Ballot Return: Received by (MUST MAIL*) Tuesday, November 16, before 8pm CST
●Guber. Election: Tuesday, November 16, before 8pm CST

*Ballot return by Fax available only by prior arrangement with Local Election Official

Overseas voter eligibility for state elections:
● Intend to return: YES
● Return not certain: YES
● Never resided: NO

Kentucky

Elections: Governor, Lt. Gov, Attorney General and Secretary of State.

Kentucky voters: vote immediately and postal mail the ballot back to your local election office this September.

● Voter Registration: Postmarked by (MAIL) or Received by (EMAIL or FAX) Mon., Oct. 7

● Ballot Request: Received by (EMAIL, FAX or MAIL) Tuesday, October 29

● Ballot Return: Received by (MUST MAIL) Tuesday, November 5, before 6pm

Overseas voter eligibility for state elections:
● Intend to return: YES
● Return not certain: YES
● Never resided: NO

New Jersey

Elections: General Assembly.

New Jersey voters: vote immediately and postal mail the ballot back to your local election office this September.

● Voter Registration: (Request ballot-by-mail) Received by (EMAIL*, FAX* or MAIL) Sun., Oct. 6 or (Request ballot-by-email, fax) Received by (EMAIL*, FAX* or MAIL) Tues., Oct. 15
● Ballot Request: (Request ballot-by-mail) Received by (EMAIL*, FAX* or MAIL) Sun., Oct. 6 or (Request ballot-by-email, fax) Received by (EMAIL*, FAX* or MAIL) Fri., Nov. 1
● Return Ballot: Received by (EMAIL*, FAX* or MAIL) Tuesday, November 5, 8pm

*IF YOU SEND BALLOT BY EMAIL OR FAX YOU MUST ALSO IMMEDIATELY MAIL YOUR BALLOT TO THE BOARD OF ELECTION.

Overseas voter eligibility for state elections:
● Intend to return: YES
● Return not certain: NO*
● Never resided: NO

*Legislation introduced to allow “return not certain” to vote in NJ state elections

Virginia

Elections: State Senate and State House.

Virginia voters: vote immediately and postal mail the ballot back to your local election office this September.

●Voter Registration: Received by (EMAIL, FAX or MAIL) Monday, October 14
●Ballot Request: Received by (EMAIL, FAX or MAIL) Tuesday, October 29
●Ballot Return: Received by (EMAIL, FAX or MAIL) Tues., November 5, before 7pm EST

Overseas voter eligibility for state elections:
● Intend to return: YES
● Return not certain: YES*
● Never resided: NO

*If VA place of abode OR if voter provides the name of an overseas employer for either the voter, the voter’s spouse or the voter’s parent (if the voter is a dependent)

Mississippi

Elections: Governor, Lt. Gov, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Senate and State House.

Mississippi voters should use email or fax to return your voted ballot.

●Voter Registration: Received by (EMAIL, FAX or MAIL) Saturday, October 26
●Ballot Request: No deadline
●Ballot Return: Received by (EMAIL, FAX or MAIL) Tuesday, November 5

Overseas voter eligibility for state elections:
● Intend to return: YES
● Return not certain: YES
● Never resided: NO