In this Newsletter
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Friends,
Fingers crossed. With just one month to go to the U.S. midterm elections, the signs are positive: Democrats may soon control one of the two chambers of Congress. And with it, act as a counterweight to the catastrophic policies and unbridled corruption of President Donald Trump and his cronies.
According to polls, fewer than one in three Americans now think Trump is doing a good job (and two out of three don’t.). Public opinion has clearly shifted against Trump, who now ranks among the worst presidents in U.S. history and will be remembered for diminishing America while enriching himself.
But starting with the vote on November 3rd, that will begin to change. The Democratic Party looks set to take over the House of Representatives and, depending on seven key races, maybe the Senate too. If so, look for a round of oversight investigations to follow (and possibly including the current U.S. Ambassador to Athens), as well as legislation to address America’s affordability crisis.
Here in Greece, we also have a role to play. Make sure you vote. First, if you haven't done so, register and request your ballot at: votefromabroad.org. There’s still time – most states allow online registration for another two to three weeks – but time is running out. Second, be prepared to push back if Trump tries to rig or steal the elections.
And come join us as we show our support for the No Kings! protests in the U.S. on Saturday, Oct. 17th. (Or at our monthly Happy Hours if you just want to socialize.)
The next two years will be critical for the future of American democracy. And this year your vote and your support really count.
Thank you for staying engaged.
Alkman Granitsas
Chair, Democrats Abroad Greece
TODAY!! Don’t wait!!
Request Your 2026 Ballot by EMAIL
Fight back against Trump's attacks on our vote! We can receive our ballots by email if we register as overseas voters. Go to VoteFromAbroad.org to fill out the FPCA. We have a long road ahead. It starts here.
Tuesday, OCT 6 - 19:30 EET
Kafeneion: GOTV in Greece - It Only Looks Like Magic!
Filling out voting forms and ballots can be daunting. Our DAGR team makes it as painless as possible. Get a quick view of how we do it from a few of our volunteers. Then stay on if you want to ask questions and get help to make sure your vote counts! Zoom link here.
Thursday, OCT 8 - 20:00 EET
DA Web Event: Yes, There Will Be an Election!
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes will talk about how Democrats across the nation are making sure every eligible ballot is counted. Secretaries of State are on the front lines. Fontes will be telling us how they do it. RSVP here for the Zoom link.
Tuesday, OCT 13 - 19:30-22:00 EET
Happy Hour in Athens
Athens Happy Hour meets again at its fav retreat, En Aithria in Monastiraki. We start at 7:30 pm, so those working downtown can stop by before heading home. Stop in and see what's shaping up for the months ahead. And don't hesitate to bring a friend. Details on the Events Page.
Tuesday, OCT 13 - 19:00-21:00 EET
Happy Hour in Thessaloniki
Have questions about getting your ballot back on time? This happy hour at Café Bazaar is the perfect opportunity to get those questions answered, and socialize with other members. More details on the Events Page.
Saturday, OCT 17 - TBD
Solidarity Walk in Thessaloniki - Taking to the Streets in Athens
In solidarity with the next “No Kings” mass demonstration event throughout the US on Oct. 17, friends and members are encouraged to join the Thessaloniki members on a walk to raise awareness on the upcoming elections and why these are the most consequential midterms of our lives. Meanwhile, Athens Chapter has also got an event in the planning. Αερά! Keep an eye out for more information on both, coming soon!
Tuesday, OCT 20 - 19:30 EET
DAGR ExCom Meeting
The Dems Abroad Greece board, aka ExCom, meets every month. Members are welcome to sit in and come up to speed on the many things your board has to handle. Get a leg up on upcoming events in planning, and much more. Reply on this email for the WebEx link.
Saturday, OCT 24 - 11:00-13:00 EET
Thessaloniki Saturday Coffee @ Xarchakos Cafe
This gathering falls on the weekend before Oxi Day (Oct. 28)! Let’s honor this Greek holiday by sharing some fascism fighting ideas over a cup of coffee. It’s going to take all of our participation, and we want to hear from all our members. Can’t wait to see you there!
Tuesday, OCT 27 - 19:30 EET
Kafeneion: What’s Next? Free & Fair Election? Or …
State and local authorities, as well as activist groups, around the country are preparing for all the suppression scenarios they can imagine. We’ll look at what’s lined up, what lies ahead in the lame duck period, and what we can do. Keep an eye on our Events Page for more information.
And that’s not all …
See what other country committees and global caucuses are doing, on the DA website Events page.
250 for 250
In honor of the nation’s semiquincentennial, Heather Cox Richardson set up a series of daily video shorts. At one minute in length, each narrated by a well-known person, they cover the length and breadth of the American story. The series is up on the eponymous YouTube channel.
Trump’s Pentagon Changed the Voter Registration Form!
Election tampering went under the radar back in the summer. BUT county election officials are accepting the original FPCA registration form, i.e. the one that’s in use on the VFA site.This NPR article tells it all. For now, ignore the Pentagon and soldier on!
Greece Mid-Year GOTV Report - replay
In mid-August, DAGR Chair Alkman put together a summary of our countrywide Get-Out-The-Vote activities in the first six months of 2026. The work goes on. It all adds up!
DAGR Kafeneion is Back!
We’ll be adding recordings to our collection. Videos of past Kafeneion events are on the DAGR YouTube Channel, at the link in the title here. Have a look!
PEN America: Stand Up to Censorship
Banned Books Week 2026 is October 4-10, even as Congress is considering bills that would compel nationwide book censorship. We invite you to get involved, attend an event, and learn more about how to fight censorship in their communities. Check out PEN America’s lineup of panels, screenings, and trainings—and stay tuned for our annual readout on the latest in school book bans. Or, oppose censorship by sending a letter to Congress.
DAGR ExCom Elections in January
There will be formal announcements, per our bylaws, asking for candidates to step forward or be nominated. For now, think about people you’d like to see in leadership. Or consider running for an office yourself. If you’d like more DA experience, volunteering on one of our teams (GOTV, Communications, Fund Raising, etc) is a great way to learn the rules and ropes! Or sit in on a monthly ExCom meeting.
DAGR In the Press, Greece and USA
We send news releases in the hope they’ll be printed and let other Americans, not yet members, know that they have a right to vote from abroad and that DAGR is here to help them if needed. This month, e-Kathimerini ran one, and The National Herald (US) posted another!
Helping Students Abroad to Vote
DA Greece’s two chapters went out last week, looking for students eligible to vote in the US. Thessaloniki volunteers set up a table at Anatolia College and registered several while informing others. In Athens, we passed out informational flyers to amplify the information many schools are already giving out. Read about Athens here, and Thessaloniki experience here. If you still need information for yourself, check the “You Can Vote from Greece” article we carry on our News page.
In Memoriam: Margaret Papandreou
Greece’s former first lady, and first honorary chair of the DAGR Women's Caucus, a driving force in human rights, women’s rights and the passage of the 1982 family law, passed away two weeks shy of her 103rd birthday. DAGR’s condolence letter can be read on our web page.
BREAKING: DNC Sues Trump Administration
Trump’s DOD quietly removed the process for American citizens born and remaining abroad to register to vote and request mail ballots. State authorities have continued to accept the registration form (FPCA) that was already in use. Meanwhile, the DNC has filed suit!
Deep Dive: Who Cut the Cheese? Trump Did!
The tariff war with Canada was supposed to help the American dairy industry. Instead, it’s wiped most of the profit. Trump’s claim that Canada’s protective tariffs were ‘very bad’ for US cheese also has about as many holes as a wheel of emmental.
We Investigated the REAL cost of Mamdani’s “Free” Bus Agenda
Public Opinion on YouTube takes a close look at Mayor Mamdani’s “Fast and Free Buses” plan for NYC. A fast-moving, fact-packed look at who pays and who benefits. Phasing-in starts with ‘fast.’ Free is a little more problematic. But the report is eye opening. 24 min vid.
Trump Vanity Project Cash Converter
New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hasan has a ‘dark fun’ calculator on her website, where you can replace Trump ego mania with real US needs. Mark your choices and see how much money you’ll have to spend elsewhere, before the Big Stupid Arch fund is finally depleted.
TIME Magazine’s Interview with the President
Read the full transcript.
Think about the 25th Amendment.
Giggle. Point. Rinse. Repeat.
October arrives with a frisson of panic: “Omigosh, only 4 weeks left!” It goes out on the 31st. Dried, bailed and ready to store. Have we done all we can to help Trump and his ilk reap what they’ve sown?
Harvest home, November!