September is our November! We've been building up and now we're about to roll quickly into Midterm election season so this mailing focuses directly on ensuring you are all ready to vote early and asking you to join our voter outreach work!

Take a moment to re-energise and reflect this weekend as we recognise the 61st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act in the US and Women's Day in South Africa.

After that we're asking you to join us in finding and mobilising US Citizens across South Africa. We're all volunteers and more than ever, teamwork is needed. If you've been waiting, thinking you'll get more involved closer to the election...now is that time! 

We need you! Yes, you!

Whatever your skills and experience, your interests, wherever you are in South Africa, or the time you're able to put into it, we're sure there's something for you! 

You'll be able to look back and know you played a part in the most critical elections of our lifetime. And we can build strength through camaraderie while we're at it! 

Volunteer opportunities include:

• Graphic design 
• Photography
• Video production and editing 
• Yah, we need video stars too! 
• Event hosts - online or in person
• Media - speak to, write for, or help coordinate 
• Social media 
• Voter outreach 
• Voter Assistance 
• Phonebanking 

Training is available for Voter Assistance Volunteers. 

You're welcome to email us at [email protected] or see a list of volunteer opportunities and fill in our Google Form for Volunteers below. 

Like everything, voter outreach tactics are changing and are slightly different in each country. While they still send out handwritten postcards in the mail in some places, in South Africa our "postcards" and much of our outreach will be digital! 

While they have advertised on buses and bus stops in Germany, wrapped a car in Vote from Abroad advertising in Canada and even made signs for bicycle baskets elsewhere - US Citizens are spread out across the suburbs in Cape Town and Joburg and scattered across the country so our outreach needs to reach far and wide.

Voter outreach is relational. Bring "who you are and why you vote" to the work! 

Our Voter Outreach plans include: 

• Person to Person - each one reach one!
• Groups, networks and organisations 
• Educational institutions 
• Social Media 
• Digital advertising
• Events - online, in-person, kitchen tables, coffee meetups, ballot drops & more
• Media 
• Phonebanking 
• Email, WhatsApp, and a healthy dose of peer pressure! 

Can you staff a table, send a few emails, share messages, be a social media warrior, make calls or engage with the media?

Do you have a network of Americans in SA that you can reach out to? Are you part of an active Facebook or WhatsApp group of US Citizens here that you can share info with? 

Look at your schedule for the next couple of months, find some time you can allocate to voter outreach and get in touch so we can welcome you to the team! 

If you have ideas for outreach or want to be involved, let us know! [email protected] 

CLICK ON THE LINKS IN THE RED BOXES BELOW TO GET STARTED 

STEP ONE - REQUEST YOUR BALLOT AT WWW.VOTEFROMABROAD.ORG 
And then contact your local election official to ensure its been received and accepted.

STEP TWO - MAKE A VOTING PLAN
Important dates and critical details for returning your ballots are listed in these resources: 

STEP THREE - VOTE EARLY

Mark your calendars for 19 September and be ready to return your ballot right away! Overseas ballots are sent out 45 days before the election (but only if you've requested them!) 

The resources above provide detailed info and tips! 

We've been hearing from members with a range of questions, from simple to complex. If you need help, now's the time to get it! 

If you can't find the answers that you need using the resources above, please reach out to the experienced volunteers at Vote From Abroad. Vote From Abroad is a nonpartisan service of Democrats Abroad.

Our DASA Voter Assistance Volunteers ([email protected]) have also participated in recent training and are gearing up but for any complex issues, act quickly and take advantage of the Global Volunteer Assistance Team! 

One of our members shared this image she dreamt up in the middle of the night and created using AI tools. Our country a casino! She wrote "I personally think this cartoon tells it all.  Trump has entered a vicious cycle where the more he grabs, the more his poll numbers finally seem to be coming down." 

There are definitely some signs of positive change in voter sentiment, but please, take no chances - don't gamble on the country's future, VOTE! 

PLEASE CONNECT TO STAY UPDATED & SHARE!

US Citizens in South Africa are invited to get in touch and get involved, contact us at [email protected]

Facebook 

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We're all volunteers but your contribution will enable us to do more digital advertising and create resources for voter outreach activities!

Thank you - 

Democrats Abroad South Africa 
[email protected]