Sound the fanfare! It's with great pleasure that we announce our 2019/2020 Executive Committee (ExCom). Congratulations to everyone. 

Rebekah Rollo, Germany Legal Counsel

As we slide into 2019, let’s look back for a moment at the 2018 midterm election. We won control of the House and had a net gain of more than 40 seats. Democrats at all levels of government did well in the midterm elections, we had a net gain of 308 seats in the 86 state legislative chambers in elections on November 6, 2018. Republicans lost 296 seats in the elections, and third-party and independent candidates lost 14 seats. 

The election also brought a wave of diversity into American governments. A total of 116 women were elected to Congress during the 2018 midterms, which serves as a significant jump from the 89 women who were elected in 2016. Add it to the number of women in the Senate still serving out terms, and that means 2019 will see a total of 126 women in the 116th Congress.  Some historic firsts in the 2018 midterm election:

• Kansas elected Sharice Davids, the state’s first lesbian House member, and one of the country’s first two Native American House members.
• Arizona and Tennessee elected their first female senators.
• Massachusetts voters elected Ayanna Pressley, who will be the first black congresswoman from the state.
• Coloradans elected Jared Polis, who will be the first openly gay male governor in the U.S.
• Michigan elected Rashida Tlaib, and Minnesota elected Ilhan Omar, making them the first two Muslim women in Congress.

Thank you for voting! We couldn’t have done it without you. Voter turnout in this election was estimated to be 50.3%, the highest turnout in a U.S. midterm election since 1914.

We also won 17 Governors races. There will be 14 states that have a Democratic trifecta (governor, house and senate) control. Colorado, Illinois, Maine, New Mexico, New York, and Nevada join Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware, California, Washington and Oregon in having a Democratic trifecta control, making 14 states or 34.4% of the US population.

Take this short survey and let us know about your voting experience. Why it matters: In order for us to do everything we can to make it easier for all Americans to vote from abroad, we need to understand your 2018 voting experience — what problems you encountered, what worked well, and even if you weren’t able to vote.  

It's Time to March Again!

The 2017 Women’s March inspired hundreds of women to run, millions more to vote, and dozens to win elected office. The 2019 Women’s March marks two years of resistance to the Trump presidency, two years of training new activists, and two years of building power. And this time, we're coming back with an agenda.

Please join us on Saturday, January 19, 2019. Democrats Abroad is marching in several locations. Find one near you. Please RSVP so we know how many people to expect.

It's that time again. Every two years we elect a new Executive Committee (ExCom). The people elected are the leaders of Democrats Abroad Germany (DAG) and includes several officers and six at-large project coordinators. Please look at the job descriptions below and if you are interested in running for a position or have any questions about the positions, please contact the Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC) at [email protected]. All eligible members may self-nominate or be nominated for all positions filled by elections.

The election will be held on 23 February 2019 in Heidelberg at our Annual General Meeting (AGM). Get more information about the AGM and RSVP.

ARIZONA VOTERS ABROAD, CHECK YOUR BALLOT STATUS ASAP at  https://voter.azsos.gov/VoterView/AbsenteeBallotSearch.do

The Senate race is too close to call, with Dem Kyrsten Sinema pulling slightly ahead. We can win this! But we need to make sure your vote is counted.

✅Ballot verification includes a signature check. If there is an issue with your signature, your vote might not be counted.

☎️If your ballot status does not say “Accepted,” call your local election office immediately. Find them here: https://azsos.gov/…/contact-information-county-election-off…?

🗣“Hi my name is [NAME] and I’m an overseas voter from [County]. I want to be sure that my ballot will be counted. Do you have everything you need from me? If my signature match has not been confirmed, what can I do?"

🚨If the election office is unable to verify your ballot or you have other issues, let us know ASAP: https://goo.gl/forms/U7TN4RVMdWuMIxmo1

Haven’t received your official Ballot yet? Concerned your official ballot won’t get to you in time to meet the ballot return deadlines?

Overseas voters can VOTE NOW using the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (“FWAB” or Back-up Ballot)!

STEP I. Did You Send in Your Ballot Request Form (the Federal Post Card Application) for 2018?

If you vote in AZ, CO, ME, MN, MS, MT, OR, SC, UT or WA, you can skip this step. On the FWAB, you can check the box to submit your Ballot Request at the same time. (Go to Step II).

All other voters: Verify with your Local Election Official (LEO) that they received your Ballot Request form for 2018 and have sent out your official ballot. You can find the contact information on the State Voting Guide: www.votefromabroad.org/states

• If your LEO has sent out your official ballot, but you are concerned you won’t receive it in time to meet the deadline to vote, send in a FWAB to preserve your vote. (Go to Step II). _You should also find out why you didn’t receive your official ballot in time, so you don’t have this problem next election. _
• If your LEO hasn’t received your ballot request form–or you haven’t sent it in yet–go to www.votefromabroad.org to fill out your form and send it to your LEO right away. Then go to Step II. The deadline for the Ballot Request form is earlier than the deadline to submit a FWAB, but most states will accept it by Email or Fax.

Photo courtesy of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Feeling anxious or alone and thinking about suicide are some of the signs that a Veteran may be in crisis. No matter what you are experiencing, there is support for getting your life back on track. A trained responder will answer your call, text, or chat and ask you a few questions. You can decide how much you want to share.

Veterans Crisis Line - Call If You Need Help

The Military Crisis Line is staffed by caring, qualified responders from VA. Many are Veterans themselves. They understand what Service members have been through and the challenges that members of the military and their loved ones face.

• In Europe call 00800 1273 8255 or DSN 118 *.  In Europe, toll-free service may not be available through all carriers or in all countries.
• In Korea call 0808 555 118 or DSN 118
• In Afghanistan call 00 1 800 273 8255 or DSN 111

Dial 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 to reach Veterans Crisis Line may work in some areas, dependent on location and phone carrier.

Dialing the local US Embassy and request a transfer to the Veterans Crisis Line

Online: Through Veterans Chat, 24/7. Veterans may chat online with a Veterans Crisis Line Responder; or, if preferring to speak on the phone, he or she may provide a phone number to the Veterans Crisis Line Chat Responder and a Veterans Crisis Line Phone Responder will call him or her directly.

Text (838255) It may work in some overseas areas but depends on the carrier and location.

For more information here: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/ActiveDuty.aspx 

As activists, we know how crucial the November 6th Mid-term elections are for our futures. Every glance at the news brings new outrage and feelings of despair. We also know that the best way to combat that helpless feeling is to do something to fight back.

But what can we do now? Well, you don’t have to lead the whole parade to be an activist! The most valuable work we can do right now is to reach out to each other! Democrats Abroad is making an extra push to have our members personally call fellow members and remind them to register to vote.

Everyone who signs up to phone bank is automatically entered to win. The top 4 call makers in September will receive a prize. Sign up today, help us win in the midterm election. You will be talking to your fellow Democrats, so most people will be happy to talk you. Phone banking it the most efficient way to get people to request a ballot. It's not cold calls. It's calling like-minded people. Many of them will miss the deadlines because they forget. Calling our members is the best way to ensure they request their ballots and vote.

It is not too late, we still have hundreds of calls to make to reach all DA Germany members! You can choose from the “DA Germany Non-Berlin” or the “DA Germany-Berlin” campaign in the DA CallHub and talk directly to other DA members reminding them, not only to register to vote and request their ballot but to join the local chapter or precinct next meeting and events.

DA uses an online system that lets you make no-cost calls from your computer. There is even an on-screen script for you to use. Please click below for a step-by-step guide on how to get started. Even 5 quick calls from each of us will go a long way in powering the blue wave that will transform Washington in November! Give it a try! Sign up for phone banking.

Note: You will need Google Chrome to use Callhub. Download it here.

If you have any questions please contact the international team at [email protected] or
Beverly at [email protected]  or Katie at [email protected]

Thanks for helping!

Happy Democrats Abroad Day!

Mark your calendars and help us celebrate: The first annual Democrats Abroad Day will take place around the world this Saturday, September 8!

Democrats Abroad Day is an annual celebration to show off your Democrats Abroad pride, wherever you are.

If your local chapter is hosting an event, we hope you’ll join. But to celebrate with as many of you as possible, and to tell the world that we represent the 9 million Americans overseas who are engaged and VOTE, we’re asking you to join our virtual party, too.