Chair Hungary, Deputy-Chair Global IT Team

  • published GA Senate Runoff - 6 Dec 2022 in Voting 2022-11-13 06:42:09 -0500

  • published GA Senate Runoff - 6 Dec 2022 in Voting 2022-11-12 14:44:15 -0500

  • published Vote in the 2022 Midterms from Hungary in News 2022-10-04 09:11:51 -0400

    Vote in the 2022 Midterms from Hungary


    This is a midterm election year — all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 of the 100 Senate seats, and 39 gubernatorial seats are on the ballot this November. U.S. citizens have the right to vote in Congressional elections, no matter where in the world they live! If you're a U.S. citizen or a dual-national and will be 18 on November 8, 2022, you have the right to vote from abroad in US elections — including in the November 2022 midterms!

    As a U.S. citizen, you can register to vote from abroad while living, working, or traveling overseas by submitting one form — the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). It doesn't matter if you were registered to vote before you left the U.S., how long you’ve lived outside the U.S., or if you've never resided in the U.S. at all. You have the right to vote!

    You need to complete and submit a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) every election year, to ensure you remain on your state’s voter rolls and to ensure your local election office has your up-to-date contact information.

       Vote From Abroad will take you through every step needed to request your ballot and make voting easy!

     

    📌  There is NO IN-PERSON VOTING in Hungary – you must request your ballot in advance for the November election! 📌

     

    ✭ ✭ In 2022, the following States must postal mail in the ballot. Vote as soon as you get your ballot! Don't wait to return your ballot! ✭  ✭

     Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

    Go to www.votefromabroad.org/states for specific  details


    KEY POINTS FOR VOTING

    • Request your overseas ballot now!  www.votefromabroad.org 
    • Ask on the request form (FPCA) that your ballot be sent to you by e-mail
    • Submit your request form by e-mail, if your state allows  
    • Return your voted ballot electronically (e-mail, upload or fax), if your state allows 
    • If your state requires you to mail back your ballot:
      • Request your ballot NOW – states began sending ballots out on Sept 24 (45 days before the election)
      • Download and vote your ballot as soon as you receive it
      • You can use the US Embassy Diplomatic Pouch if your ballot is sent 4-weeks in advance of the election (by 11 Oct)
      • You can also use an express courier service to send it back
    • Track your request form and your ballot
    • Any Questions? E-mail: [email protected]

     

    ✭ ✭ ✭  ✭  ✭  ✭  ✭  ✭  ✭

    Additional Voting Details on this page: 

    1. Registering to vote and requesting your ballot

    2. Confirming your request has been accepted

    3. Receiving your ballot

    4. Oct 1 and the ballot hasn’t arrived? 

    5. Voting your ballot

    6. Returning your ballot

    7. Checking twice to prevent mistakes

    8. Confirming your ballot's arrival

    9. What to do if you encounter difficulties

    10. Getting your "I Voted from Austria" Stickers 

    ✭ ✭ ✭  ✭  ✭  ✭  ✭  ✭  ✭

     

    1. Registering to vote and requesting your ballot for the 2022 midterm elections

    The first step is to request your ballot, and if need be, register to vote from abroad. You should do this every election year to ensure you remain on your state’s overseas voter rolls and to ensure your local election office has your up-to-date contact information.

    It’s important to register as an absentee voter from abroad – using the FPCA form – because the ballots of US citizens voting from abroad have special protections and are different from the standard absentee ballot. 

    Go to VoteFromAbroad.org to fill out your Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) absentee ballot request — it takes 5-10 minutes! If you're not registered to vote, the FPCA also serves as a voter registration form. Choose the option to receive ballots by email.

    If you have any questions while filling out your request form, go to the Vote from Abroad FAQ section or type your question in the website's chatbox (red circle in the bottom right-hand corner of each page on the DA website). Or you can email us at: [email protected] 

     


    Watch a video on how to use www.VoteFromAbroad.org in English.




    2. Confirming your Ballot request has been accepted 

    After submitting your FPCA absentee ballot request form, call or email your Local Election Official (LEO) to confirm they have received it and will be sending your ballot. Your LEO's contact information is listed in the instructions generated when you fill out your FPCA form at Vote from Abroad. You can also look up their contact info here

    Most states provide a website where you can verify your voter status. To find your state's website, click here and scroll down to “Where Is My Ballot?"

     

    3. Receiving your ballot 📬

    Your overseas absentee ballot is not your standard absentee ballot back home! Thanks to the MOVE Act, all states must send FPCA-requested  absentee ballots to overseas voters no later than 45 days before a federal election — this year that’s September 24, 2022

    And, if requested, all states must send overseas voters their ballot by email.

    You don't need to wait for ballots to arrive on September 24. If you're worried your ballot won't arrive on time, send in a Backup Ballot NOW. The Backup Ballot (Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot or FWAB) is specifically for overseas voters who are concerned they won't receive their official ballot in time to return it by the deadline. All details about the Backup Ballot can be found here.

     

    4. Your ballot hasn’t arrived? 📭

    Check your spam folder. Still no ballot? Contact your local election official here and confirm they’ve sent your ballot to you. Go to VoteFromAbroad.org if you need to send in a new FPCA absentee ballot request form.

    If you haven’t received your ballot by October 1 and your state requires postal mail return, we recommend you send in a Backup Ballot to make sure your vote gets to your state in time. All details about the Backup Ballot can be found here.

     

    5. Voting your ballot 🗳️

    It’s easy to get informed about candidates, ballot initiatives, and judicial candidates and important to vote your ballot completely. State and local races are critical in 2022! 

    The simplest way is to vote for Democrats straight down the ballot. Some elected positions do not list a party affiliation, like school boards, judges, and others. To determine who to vote for in those cases, you can do the following: 

    • Google your county's local Democratic Party
    • Go to the League of Women Voters personalized ballot service 
    • Go to Ballotpedia - Example: google “Ballotpedia Arizona elections 2022”
    • Google the candidate's name to find their campaign website

     

    6. There are lots of ways to return your ballot! 

    📌 Remember! Only use a mail service if you cannot return your ballot electronically 📌

    Ballot return methods – by email, online, postal mail, fax – vary by state. Always return your ballot as quickly as possible, but especially if your state only allows postal mail return. Find your state's exact ballot return methods here.

    If your state allows email, online upload or fax  for ballot return, please use these options as they’re not subject to delay! Here is more information on fax submission.

    If your state requires postal mail return, see info below on options from Hungary.

    New Jersey Voters: Please note that New Jersey allows for email or fax returns, but requires that the ballot ALSO be sent by postal mail.

    New York Voters: Here are instructions on How to fold the New York State General Election ballot.


    Need help scanning your ballot?

     Watch this video on how to scan using your smartphone.

    If you don't have a scanning app on your phone, you can use Adobe Scan mobile app for iPhone & Android


    International Postal Service:  

    If your state requires postal mail ballot return, one option is to use express international mail from the Hungarian Postal Service. 

    – Late October Update: Hungarian Postal Service is not likely to deliver your ballot in time.  We encourage you to use an express Courier service – See offer below.

     

     The U.S. Embassy/Consulate Diplomatic Pouch:

    – Late October Update: It is now too late to use the Embassy Diplomatic Pouch.  We encourage you to use an express Courier service – See offer below.

     

     Express Courier Service:

    If your state requires postal mail ballot return, the quickest option is to use an Express Courier service.

    DA Hungary has arranged for a discount with DHL for ballots to be returned to the U.S.
    The discount is only available till 31 Oct. 2022. 

    Confirm with your local election office the best address to use for a Courier delivery! DHL cannot send to a P.O. Box! 

    Use USA30 for a 30% discount. More information and details are here:  https://mydhl.express.dhl/hu/hu/shipment.html#/?fromCountry=HU#address-details

    Please do not use an online booking service if your state requires a postmark to be on the outside envelope AND your ballot might arrive close to or after Nov 8! Find out your state’s requirements here.

    Even with expedited courier services though, ballots still take several days to get to the United States. Please send your ballot as soon as possible!  

     

    📌 Remember! Only use a mail service if you cannot return your ballot electronically 📌

    7. Checking twice to prevent mistakes 👀

    When filling out and packaging your ballot, don't forget to review the instructions carefully. Don't let human error spoil your ballot!

    Regardless of how you send in your ballot, remember that you – the voter – must be the one who places it “in the mail.” In some states, it is unlawful for any other person to handle your voted ballot, even if it is sealed. Unsure? Find out your state’s requirements here

     

    8. Confirming your ballot's arrival at your local election office in the United States ✓✓

    Once you've sent your ballot, follow up with your local election official to make sure that it arrived and will be counted. Please do not just assume that your ballot has made it! 

    The easiest way to ensure your ballot has arrived is to go to "Track Your Ballot" on your state’s website. You can also look up your local election office's contact details here and contact them directly. They may be experiencing a high volume of calls, so you may need to be persistent to get through to someone.

     

    9. Having trouble? Need help? 😕

    We understand that the voting process to some states can be confusing — that's why we're here to help! Send us an email at  [email protected] or contact [email protected]

     


  • donated via 2022-05-11 04:47:48 -0400

  • published 2022 State Voting Information Pages in Voting 2022-03-13 09:25:12 -0400

  • published Ohio Primary Election - May 2022 - Espanol in Voting 2022-03-12 04:16:10 -0500

  • published Texas Primary Election - Mar 2022 - Espanol in Voting 2022-01-16 17:41:05 -0500

  • published Texas Primary Election - Mar 2022 in Voting 2022-01-07 07:58:45 -0500

  • published Florida-20 Special Election - Jan 2022 in Voting 2021-11-15 16:05:03 -0500

  • published Ohio Primary Elections - May 2022 in Voting 2021-09-26 08:32:55 -0400

  • published New Jersey State Elections - Nov 2021 in Voting 2021-09-16 14:10:25 -0400

  • published Virginia State Elections - Nov 2021 in Voting 2021-09-13 14:57:04 -0400

  • published Virginia State Elections - Nov 2021 in Voting 2021-09-13 13:22:49 -0400

  • From Grandma's Pay Discrimination to A Protest Marcher Today – We need the ERA!

    I remember well when my grandmother, a university lecturer at BYU, (with whom I was living with at the time) informed the family that she had been refused an expected pay raise, to match the raises all the men in her department had received, with the explanation that “the men had families to support.” My grandmother was, in fact, the “bread-winner” supporting our household and the one solely caring for her extended family. It puzzled me then, as a young boy, and it remains confounding to me now, how differences in hiring and compensation could be justified on the basis of sex, rather than appropriately based on competence and qualifications for one’s job.

    While we, as a country, have no doubt made some progress since my grandmother was denied fair compensation based solely on her sex, there is still a prevailing premise of differences between men and women that has not yet been corrected in America and that leads to continued discrimination – both intentional and unintentional.

    At a protest march a few years back, my photo was captured by a journalist and featured in Cosmopolitan Online magazine with the caption “woman holds protest poster”. I am not bothered in the least by any potential gender confusion here, but rather, I am proud to stand with all my fellow citizens in stating that we need to formally ratify and adopt the ERA to end any further forms of discrimination on the basis of sex. —Merrill Oates, Utah voter in Hungary.


  • published 2022 Membership AGM in News 2020-02-10 05:04:57 -0500

    2022 DA-Hungary AGM

    Annual General Meeting - Online

    Our local Democrats Abroad Hungary committee is pleased to announce the scheduling of our 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of members.
    To facilitate greater participation of members, the AGM will be held On-line via WebEx on:
        Wednesday, 23 March at 19:00
    WebEx On-line Meeting Details:
    Agenda to include:
    • Chair’s, Secretary’s, and Treasurer’s Reports
    • Voter Outreach and Support initiatives, including Phonebanking opportunities to reach local members
    • Volunteer Opportunities and Member Engagement
    • Local Events in 2022
    • Advocacy Issues for Democrats Abroad 
    New Donation Option on DA Website:
    Even if you can’t make it to our AGM this year, you can still support our local GOTV work with a donation to DA-Hungary via our new Donation Page.
    Please consider a donation to help us reach more American Voters.

     


  • published Finland in Europe 2019-04-05 05:23:53 -0400

  • signed up on Global Black Caucus Signup 2018-05-29 11:34:16 -0400

     

     

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  • signed up on Progressive Caucus Signup 2018-02-22 11:07:19 -0500

     

     

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  • published DA-Russia AGM and Officer Elections – 2017 in News 2017-04-24 07:58:43 -0400

    DA-Russia AGM and Officer Elections – 2017

    The Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC) of Democrats Abroad Russia (DA Russia) wishes to remind members of the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) and opportunity to vote for DA Russia officer candidates.

    Annual General Meeting

    The AGM will be held on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 19:30 in the evening, at the Moscow office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, 7 Petrovka Street, to meet the candidates to the Executive Council of DA Russia, amend by-laws, and discuss current events.  

    Nominees to Executive Committee

    The following persons have been nominated and seconded for the following positions: 

    Chairperson:  Josh Tulgan

    Vice-chairperson:  Carolyn S.  Wieland

    Treasurer:  Hitoshi Hirano

    Secretary:  Marian Dent 

    Counsel:  Amy Kouznetsova

     

    Amendment to By-laws

    We will also be voting on the following proposed by-laws amendment:

    11.1     The Executive Committee is composed of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Counsel and may, in addition, include two Members-at-Large elected from among the eligible Members of the Organization. The chairpersons of any Standing Committees will be ex officio members of the Executive Committee without voting privileges.


    Voting

    Rather than voting with paper ballots, we invite everyone to vote via Survey Monkey.  You will be able to vote using the link below for a period of 14 days.  
    Here is the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DRGMTSY

    Results of voting

    We will send out the results by email shortly after the expiration of the 14-day voting period. 


    We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday evening!

    Best regards,

    Members of the Nominations and Elections Committee of DA Russia:

    Guy Archer
    Vladimir Kouznetsov
    Maya Melnikas

     


  • Grab a Candle and Share your Light – Farewell Obama, 20 Jan 2017

    Farewell and Thank You Obama Vigil
    20 January 2017, Szabadság tér, Budapest, Hungary
    HU Obama Farewell -Jan 2017
    8 years ago on the day of President Obama’s first Inauguration, Democrats Abroad and other Americans gathered to celebrate with candlelight and song in Budapest’s Szabadság tér (Liberty Square) next to the US Embassy to celebrate a new era of hope for America and it’s place in the world.  

    Our gathering in 2008 was documented by local media and joined by other groups also seeking political reform.  Here is a short clip of the event from a Hungarian news portal: 

    During the last hour of President Obama’s administration, on 20 January 2017, we returned again to the same square to close out this chapter in American history.  Around 50 members of Democrats Abroad came together to sing American anthems and to share with each other some of the Obama accomplishments that we found most significant.  Participants spoke out expressing the importance of: America regaining respect in the world, the Affordable Care Act, Dignity, Net Neutrality, Marriage Equality, Economic Recovery, improving the rights of women in the workplace, and having a president with the ability to speak in complete grammatical sentences. 

    Our DA-Hungary Chair, Marylin Ball-Brown, led the group in singing This Land is Your Land, America the Beautiful, and We Shall Overcome.  As a trained opera singer, she then closed out the event by singing Amazing Grace.  Many in the crowd had eyes filled with tears as we bid farewell to the Obama Presidency.

    Budapest Obama Farewell Vigil -Jan 2017
    Several from the group gathered after the event at the nearby Cafe Liberté to warm up and to share thoughts on how we can work to sustain the Obama legacy of achievement in the challenging years to come.  Our thanks to DA-HU member Amy Modly for her extensive work in helping to coordinate the event with the local police office.

Chair DA-Hungary, Data & Analytics Director, Deputy-Chair Global IT Team, former Regional Vice-Chair EMEA at Democrats Abroad