The polls have shifted. Our membership in DA Portugal has grown by almost 200 people in the last month alone - our contribution to global membership is almost 6%. That’s a whopping number for little Portugal. Volunteers are pouring in. Momentum is real. Joy and Hope are a strategy.

But, as amazing as it seems, victory in November will still be won on the margins in a few key states. Moreover, we need to win not only the trifecta of White House, Senate and House, but also down ballot from state houses to school boards and sheriffs. It’s one thing to grow in membership and have record numbers of Democrats requesting ballots….

Now we need to turn out the vote.

And for a lot of voters, this isn’t going to be easy. If you requested your ballot via an FPCA, and opted for email, you will get your ballot in your inbox on September 21. Apart from that, there’s no consistency between the states. My husband and I vote in Oregon - we email our ballots back on the same day. The fact is that most of the key states require you return your ballot via postal mail (and frankly even a lot of blue states are still playing like it’s 1985 - including New York). And - not surprisingly, many even make that a challenge, asking for a witness or a signature page - whatever that is. Postal mail means TWO envelopes: one for privacy and the other for mailing. It means you need to print your ballot.

Please make a plan for how you will return your ballot. This is key:

1. Review the rules for your state at votefromabroad.org. Go to Your State Rules and at the bottom of each page is a hyperlink that has more information.
2. If you can email or fax, please do it immediately. This is our equivalent of early voting, and greatly simplifies our ongoing outreach. Follow directions that come with your ballot. If you are confused, reach out to us or votefromabroad.org helpdesk.
3. If you must use postal mail, print out your ballot and follow directions. If you don’t have a printer, use a friend's or go to Staples. Yes, it’s inconvenient but the most important thing is to do it as soon as possible. There’s a reason we have fought for a federal regulation that says we must receive the ballot 45 days in advance - so you have time to get it back.
4. If you haven’t received your ballot via email, please check your spam. You MAY have not requested via FPCA or stipulated you wanted it via email. If you haven’t received it by Sept 30th, please reach out to us or votefromabroad.org for help.
5. CTT is fine but you can send it DHL for faster service. Don’t ask for a signature as there will not be that service available on the other side.
6. CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL OFFICE THAT YOUR BALLOT HAS BEEN RECEIVED. If it hasn’t been received two weeks after you’ve sent it, you may want to file a back-up ballot.

We can do this. We are all tired of the bullshit and the conflict and the disrespect. Let’s close this chapter of American History. I, for one, am super over it.

Let's get to it.

You still have time to request your 2024 ballot. If you haven’t yet done so, please go today to votefromabroad.org. and fill out an FPCA. And if you have, make sure every one of your friends and family members have done the same.

Most of you will be receiving a direct mailing from us giving you the ABCs of voting. Please watch for it and put it somewhere you won’t lose it. It will be a helpful reference.

We have one more event planned in the Silver Coast area on September 8th. If you live anywhere in driving distance to Caldas da Rainha, please join us - they are super fun and a great way to meet like-minded people. You will eat, drink, get registered and learn about plan to help everyone vote. 

Sept 5 - 5pm Part rally, part organizing call, part political strategy session, this event will feature celebrities, elected officials, political strategists, and other Americans abroad from all walks of life talking about why they support the Harris-Walz ticket and providing concrete actions we can take to help elect them.

Phonebanking: One of the best ways we have to reach people is via phonebanking. Please join our global outreach to DA members around the world - we have in person events throughout the county and on zoom. Or just do it from the comfort of your living room. If you are interested, please reach out to Billy Easton, our phone-bank coordinator at [email protected]. He will plug you in.

Ballot Return Events: As I said, your ballots will drop on or around September 21st. Many of you will want some help - lucky for you, many of us are happy to help you. We will be sending notices for in-person ballot return events in Porto, Caldas da Rainha, Cascais, Lisbon, Setubal, and the Algarve. Announcements will be on our Facebook page, the website, and posters around those areas. If you live outside these towns, you can still receive help via votefromabroad.org, or reach out and email us. If there are a lot of Americans around your town, please let us know if we should arrange an in-person event. We will do our best to organize one.

Not gonna lie - we could ALWAYS use more volunteers. Here is where the need is the heaviest:

Phonebankers: reach out to Billy Easton at [email protected]

Ballot Return Assistance: If you live near one of the towns listed above and would like to help us organize and event or even assist in ballot return, please reach out to Kristina Maloney at [email protected]. If you would like to help organize an event in another location, please let her know.

Social Media: if you are comfortable with social media and would like to join our team, please reach out to me at [email protected].

Technology: If you have a facility with tech, we could certainly use you. If you are comfortable learning new platforms, and willing to get trained - definitely we could use you.

This is always my favorite part - sharing some really interesting conversations or POVs. Enjoy!

Sam Harris: How Democracies Fail with Anne Applebaum

Stacey Abrams Assembly Required - new podcast series

Ezra Klein: Distracted? Burned Out? Listen to This

and finally, I'm kind of obsessed with Tim Miller and the Bulwark. Yeah, I know he was a Republican strategist - he still gives great podcast. Watch or listen to any of them for a slightly different POV:

Tim Miller: The Bulwark

As always, please follow us on FB, Instagram and Threads.

Democratically yours,

Sally DeSipio

Chair, DA Portugal

DA Portugal