Brady Kiesling and Aliki Chapple distributed flyers outside the College Year in Athens entrance.
"Study Abroad' programs draw US young people abroad for a semester or two, often overlapping election dates at home. DA makes an effort to inform them of their UOCAVA rights and to encourage them to vote.
by Brady Kiesling, Athens Chapter Representative
A key goal at DAGR is to help the thousands of young Americans studying in Greece to receive their ballot and vote. One of our most rewarding activities has been to lurk outside the campus entrance at lunchtime with handouts to pass out and a friendly smile. Judging by the response, America still has a bright future.
Two weeks ago, on the sidewalk outside College Year in Athens, we discovered that many students had already requested their ballot and a few had their ballot marked and ready to mail. Most of the rest thanked us warmly and said they'd get on it right away. Students grasped that these elections were important: we had a Maine student keenly aware of the problem of Senator Collins, and a North Caroline student determined to help our candidates prevail in an important "purple" state.
If you know a place where American study-abroad students hang out, let us know where and when, or even better photocopy our little blurb and hand it out!
The Athens flyer:
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American students in Greece, It’s election season in America. Recent events might remind you that U.S. politics matter. Also, you are in Athens, surrounded by monuments to a democracy in which every citizen had a voice. U.S. law says you have the right to vote by mail while overseas. Your 2026 U.S. general election ballot will already have arrived in your email inbox, if you sent your home county voting office the form requesting it. If you didn’t, you probably still have time to ask for and receive an absentee ballot. Head over to www.votefromabroad.org (or to FVAP.gov, if you trust the U.S. government) to generate your official ballot request postcard (FPCA). Have your state driver’s license or other ID handy, and your US voting address (likely your parents’ home address unless you’ve already registered in your U.S. university). The FPCA will register you to vote, if this will be your first election. Make sure you request that your ballot be sent to you by email. Every state handles remote voting differently. States like North Carolina let you vote digitally. States like Texas make you print out your ballot and snail-mail it back. The mail from Greece is slow, so once your ballot arrives, read the instructions very carefully, mark it and sprint to the Greek post office to mail it home well before November 3. FVAP.gov will help you generate a “Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot” (FWAB) if your voter registrar or the post office lets you down. Your home county probably has a voter help page, but if you’re unsure about any aspect of the voting process, feel free to call Brady Kiesling of Democrats Abroad Greece at +30 6946578290. And there’s 24-hour help available at [email protected]. |
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