DE
-
Democrats Abroad Germany Introduces Newly Elected Executive Committee
MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release
March 6, 2019
Democrats Abroad Germany Introduces Newly Elected Executive Committee
Heidelberg - Democrats Abroad Germany, the official arm of the Democratic Party in Germany, elected its new Executive Committee at their Annual General Meeting held on February 23, 2019, in Heidelberg. Incoming leaders, who will serve in their respective positions until 2021, are responsible for upholding and supporting the work of the Democratic Party Committee Abroad in Germany.
DA Germany announces the following newly elected leaders:
Chair – Candice Kerestan Vice Chair – Kenton Barnes Treasurer – Ronald Schlundt Secretary – Andrea Schwab At-Large Positions:
Chapter Development Coordinator – Quaide Williams
Communications Coordinator – Angela Fobbs Events & Fundraising Coordinator – Emily Lines Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Coordinator – Claudia Clark IT Coordinator – Susan Penrod Media Contact – Beverly Seebach As American politics has come to the forefront of global concern with the Trump administration, DA Germany aims to be the point of contact for Americans living in Germany and help actively connect them with government and civic engagement back home.
“Following the general election in 2016, we witnessed an outpouring of concern and activity from Americans living in Germany,” noted Candice Kerestan, Chair of DA Germany. “While this momentum to make a change was reflected in the recent midterm elections – where Democrats regained the House, flipped seven governors’ mansions, and picked up hundreds of state legislative seats nationwide – we must continue building upon this to take back the White House in 2020. Moving forward, the newly elected Executive Committee is determined to keep improving outreach to Americans, provide even greater opportunities for our members to learn about and engage with US politics, and make our voices heard while living in Germany.”
The elections are one facet of an ongoing program of activities for DA Germany. For more information please visit our website at http://www.democratsabroad.org/de.
- END -
-
AGM Election Results - DAG Executive Committee 2019
Sound the fanfare! It's with great pleasure that we announce our 2019/2020 Executive Committee (ExCom). Congratulations to everyone.
Office
Countrywide Officeholder
Email Address
Chair Candice Kerestan [email protected] Vice Chair Kenton Barnes [email protected] Secretary Andrea Schwab [email protected] Treasurer Ronald Schlundt [email protected] Rebekah Rollo, Germany Legal Counsel
-
Happy New Year! January 2019 Newsletter
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.
-
Women's March 2019 The #Women'sWave
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.
Event
Date and Time
January 19, 2019 at 10am - 12pm
January 19, 2019 at 2pm - 5pm
January 19, 2019 at 11:55am - 3pm
Hamburg Women's March 2019 January 19, 2019 at 1pm - 4pm
Hannover Women's March 2019 January 19, 2019 at 11am - 12pm
January 19, 2019 at 1:30pm - 4:30pm
January 19, 2019 at 2pm - 5pm
January 19, 2019 at 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Wiesbaden/Mainz is Marching in Heidelberg January 19, 2019 at 1:30pm - 4:30pm
-
DAG Executive Committee 2019 Elections
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.
-
URGENT: AZ, FL, GA Voters - Check Your Ballot Status! Here’s How
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
-
How To Vote Using a Back-up Ballot
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.
-
How to Fax Your Ballot Without a Fax Machine
Five states — Alaska, California, Florida, Louisiana, and Oklahoma — allow overseas voters to return their ballot by fax. In addition, Texas allows active duty military or eligible family members in a hostile fire pay, imminent danger pay, or combat zone to return their ballots by fax.
It’s easy to return your voted ballot by fax — it’s fast and free, and you don't have to worry that your ballot will be lost or arrive after the deadline to vote. Also, you keep the original ballot, so there’s always a paper trail.
Important: If your State accepts your election materials by email, you should email them directly to your election official.
If you do not have access to a fax machine, you can use the DoD FAX SERVICE.- What is the DoD Fax Service?
If you need to send your election materials to your election official by fax but do not have access to a fax machine, you can email them to [email protected], and FVAP will fax your election materials for you. This service is fax only. If your State accepts your election materials by email, you should email them directly to your election official. FVAP will not transmit email to email transactions.Need help scanning? Watch this video on how to scan using your smartphone: Watch this video.
If you don't have a scanning app on your phone, you can use Adobe Scan mobile app for iPhone & Android.
-
Does it matter what size paper I use?
Yes, create US letter-sized PDFs to ensure the ballot information all fits on the fax sheet printout.
- You must print and fill out this Voter Transmission Cover Sheet-In Bound From Voters. Voters should use this fax transmission cover sheet as a cover sheet when faxing or emailing election materials back to their local election office.
If your forms can be emailed, DO NOT USE [email protected]. Email them directly to your election official. Email addresses for your election official can be found at FVAP.gov. -
What To Do If You Haven't Received Your Ballot Yet
It's getting close to the election and I haven't received my blank ballot yet. What should I do?
If you successfully submitted a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), your state is required to send out your ballot 45 days before the election. For the November General Elections, ballots are typically sent out by the third week of September. (To verify your FPCA was received and approved, see FAQ #19 (“How Do I Check If I Am Registered To Vote And My Ballot Request Form Was Received So That I’ll Receive An Overseas Ballot?”)
If you’re concerned you may not receive your blank ballot in time to return it by the deadline for voted ballots, you can vote using the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB)–also known as the “back-up ballot”. For detailed instructions how to use a FWAB, please go here: www.votefromabroad.org/fwab
-
Veterans Crisis Line - Call If You Need Help
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