The Global Presidential Primary was a huge success! In the last two weeks, over 1200 new members have joined Democrats Abroad in and around Berlin (including in Leipzig, Jena, Potsdam, and Dresden), with similar increases in the rest of Germany.
Since many of you are hearing from us for the first time, here's quick rundown of what our 100% volunteer-powered group does, besides primary voting centers.
What is Democrats Abroad in Berlin?
As your local Democrats Abroad chapter, our mission is to help Americans living outside the U.S. exercise their right to vote. This includes
- voter registration events
- phone banking
- and other voter outreach initiatives
In addition to helping you register to vote and request absentee ballots, we also organize speakers, panels, film screenings, and discussions to keep you connected with current political issues. Finally, Democrats Abroad Berlin also hosts events for the American community, like 4th of July and Thanksgiving parties, all with the goal of helping people stay involved and engaged in U.S. political process while living in Germany.
Besides these emails (which we send out a few times a month), you can stay in touch with us on social media, too:
- Twitter: @demsinberlin
- Facebook: Democrats Abroad Germany - Berlin Chapter
- Instagram: @demsabroadgermany
Record-Breaking Global Primary Turnout
On each of the voting center days in Berlin, over 500 people voted! On Super Tuesday, Berlin had the biggest turnoutout of all Democrats Abroad polling centers. Thank you all for taking the time to cast your vote in the presidential primary. Here are a few photos (Facebook)
Thank you as well to all the volunteers who helped with distributing ballots, setting up, cleaning up, directing voters, tallying votes, helping people register to vote, and many more crucial roles. It was a huge, collective effort, and we couldn't have done it without everyone's support.
Upcoming Events Postponed ➜ Online Organizing
In line with the rest of Democrats Abroad Germany & public health regulations, we're postponing all events until further notice.Â
We encourage you to stay home as much as possible, avoid any non-essential gatherings, and keep in touch with friends and neighbors for mutual support.
We’re currently looking into which of our events can be held online, and what tools to use. We’ll keep you posted and reassess at the end of the month about April events. Take care of each other.
How to request your absentee ballot
Voting in the Democrats Abroad primary does not automatically register you to vote in the November election!
- Use our tool votefromabroad.org to request your ballot. You need to do this every calendar year to make sure you're still on the voter rolls.
- Already done? Help a friend to do the same!
If you need help with any of this, we're happy to lend a hand! Email [email protected].
Getting involved
Everything you see, from the events on our website to our Kiez meetups to the phone call reminding you to vote, even to the t-shirts we have, is organized and done by volunteers.
If you want to make a difference in U.S. politics and democracy, why not start close to home? We could use your help!
As we focus on the November election, we're looking for people to help with voter registration events, phone banking, and other ways to make a direct impact on voters. If you'd like to get involved, drop us a line: [email protected]
One more way to show your support: Donate!
In the 2016 election only 7% of Americans living abroad cast their ballots. We need to reach the other 93% this year, and we need your help to make this happen!
Your contributions help us reach that goal as we undertake the largest voter mobilization effort in our history:
- Become as a monthly sustaining donor by setting up a recurring transfer, as low as 2-10€
- Support Democrats Abroad Germany with a one-time donation of 25€ or even 50€
Your support helps us reach more American voters through advertisements in movie theaters, on social media, print materials, at local festivals, and many other channels.
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