A lot of people ask us if they can vote this year, and if voting in 2018 is worth it.
Yes. And Yes.
Midterm elections are federal elections, which means that anyone who can vote in a presidential election year can also vote for Senate and House races in the midterms.
And WOW is this year’s election important. If Democrats take back Congress - and we can - we will change Washington. Which is why our single most important task this year is getting all Democrats abroad to vote. This is not a task for October. This is an action for NOW.
This week's Tiny Action: Sign up to be a phone bank volunteer, and start making those calls!
88% of members we called in 2016 submitted a ballot, but less than 2 in 10 of you signed up to phonebank when we asked in February. So we’re asking again.
Phone banking is easy, flexible, free (with an internet connection and laptop) and rewarding. Phone bankers in the U.S. are shocked to hear how often our members THANK us for calling them about voting!
New to phone banking?
- Log in to democratsabroad.org and sign up to help with phone banking.
- Review important info for first-time phone bankers.
- You will receive an email from CallHub - the system we use to call Americans abroad - to activate your account.
- Log in to CallHub and get started!
Returning phone banker?
- Review the refresher materials and info on current campaigns here: https://www.democratsabroad.org/phonebanking
- Go to https://callhub.io to enter your username and password.
- Your username is probably country code and name. Ex: CA-Heidi-Burch
- Forgot your password? Click Forgot to receive CallHub instructions to set up a new one. - Start making those calls!
Overseas votes HAVE decided close elections in the past, and we’ll do it again - but not without your help.
MORE INFO
Of course we assume you’ve already confirmed you will receive your ballots.
You don't need to be a voting expert. Just read from the script and, as noted in our CallHub Tips, direct any questions to the Voter Helpdesk.
Midterms are a federal election year, which means everyone can vote.
Federal Elections = President, House, Senate.
Americans abroad should request their ballots now - and every calendar year.
Some people will tell us that they receive a ballot every year without requesting, but with voting rights advocates on the defense, that can change unexpectedly. Primaries are already underway and will run through September, and requesting now ensures a ballot for all elections in 2018 and that any problems can be addressed before November.
Our votes count, even in the deepest blue and red states.
No matter how tight each race will be, every vote from abroad is counted, just like voting in person. Many elections have a clear winner, so the absentee ballots still being tallied after election night don't affect the predicted results, but our votes are counted, and CAN swing an election -- just like they were for Gov Roy Cooper in North Carolina and Senator Maggie Hassan in New Hampshire (who kept the GOP from repealing the ACA last summer).
Check out our phone banking info and voting news updates on our site, or ask our voting experts if you have further questions.
Sign up here to receive our Tiny Actions each week. If you don't see the Subscribe button, you'll need to sign in first.
As always, our aim is to turn tiny actions into big results, so we hope we can continue to count on your help! Be sure to forward and share this action with other activists, and send suggestions for our next tiny action to info at democratsabroad dot org.