News from the Chair 
October 2025 Newsletter

Greetings! Sad news on the home front.  Our beloved kitty passed away after 14 years on the planet.

We named her Betty White for all the obvious reasons.  Betty was quite the character; we found her as a scrawny kitten, covered with parasites and practically bald. Those who visited Amy and I at our various homes will remember her as the most social kitty on the planet. 

I'm reeling from this loss as well as recent events in the U.S. Just when you thought it couldn't get worse ... it does. 

As I See It

No matter how bad it appears in the United States there is one thing we all need to do to fight back. 

Vote.

Vote like you and your loved one's lives depend on it ... because that may well be the case.  Vote because that is the first and best way to resist fascism and change the country for the better.

When voting from abroad, you have to request your ballot 1x per year. Your first stop to request your ballot is going to Votefromabroad.org.

This is important for EVERYONE to do as it sets you up for success for the 2026 mid term races. It is particularly important that you request your ballot if you vote from one of the following states with critical elections:

• California
• New Jersey 
• Pennsylvania
• Virginia

To learn more about what is on the line in each of these 4 states, check out this article on our Substack:

To learn more about the voting process from Portugal read this overview from Democracy Docket.

No Tyrants/Day of Defiance Returns to Lisbon and Porto on Saturday October 18

Multiple organizations are calling for a massive turnout on October 18.  Here is more information about the events:

Lisbon No Tyrants Protest
Saturday Oct 18
3:00 - 4:00 PM
Praca do Comércio
Lisbon

AMPT UP for Democracy, the new name for the group formerly known as Forward Together is hosting this event in Lisbon. 

______

Porto No Tyrants Protest
Saturday Oct 18
2:00 PM
Praca General Humberto Delgado (Camera Municipal)
PC GEN Humberto Delgado 269
Porto

If you are planning to join us at the Porto event, there is a poster-making event on Saturday Oct 11: 

Porto Poster Making
Saturday Oct 11
2:00 PM
Scoundrels Distilling Co.
Praça da Corujeira 154 158
Porto

If you are on the fence about whether to turn up to one of these events please know that your presence matters.  People from voterfromabroad.org may be on site and could use your help, talking to people to ensure they request their ballots in time for critical GOTV deadlines.

Additional Events are happening in Lisbon and Porto like so:

Lisbon
Monday Oct 8
Quiosque Birra
Praça de Londres
5:00 - 6:30 PM

Porto
Tuesday Oct 23
Wilson's Cafe
Largo do Dr. Tito Fontes 129, 4000-124 Porto, Portugal
2:00 - 4:00 PM

Take Action

Other ways you can take action are available on our Substack. Please do check it out. We encourage you to do 5things a day or a week in resistance to the regime.  Tailored to actions you can take from Portugal.

Until next time.
Viva the resistance!

Lynnette Shaw
Chair, Democrats Abroad Portugal

DA Portugal
https://www.democratsabroad.org/