In this issue:
- Take Action
- How to Vote, Where to Get Help
- Come Join Us — Upcoming Events
- Feature Article
- Meet Our Volunteers: Carolyn Campbell
- How to Volunteer Locally
- The Lighter Side of Democracy
Take Action - VOTE!
Just moved abroad? Already registered in the US to vote? FPCA advantages for Overseas Voters.
Re-register to vote as an overseas voter. It offers ballot protections that you do not have as an in-state voter.
If you've recently moved abroad, filing a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) is one of the most important things you can do as an overseas voter. It lets your Local Election Official know you are now living outside the US. The FPCA is only one page and takes only a few minutes to fill out and send in. It acts like an address update, which voters are required to provide, but it also provides significant advantages that are only available to overseas voters:
Just Moved Abroad? FPCA advantages for Overseas Voters - Continued
Go to votefromabroad.org to submit your FPCA and register to vote in this election cycle. This site will walk you through your state-specific requirements.
How to Vote & Get Help
If you read nothing else, read this Challenges with La Poste mail to U.S.
Voting from abroad requires one important step every year: you must request your ballot annually. The easiest way to do this is through VoteFromAbroad.org.
For more information, or to volunteer, contact DA Brittany’s Get-Out-The-Vote Coordinator, Martha LeCars.
Brittany Earns "Ready, Set, Go" Grant
—for Voter Outreach and Assistance
Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers, the Brittany Chapter has been awarded Ready, Set, Go grant funding to strengthen our voter outreach efforts. The grant will help provide materials and resources for Get Out the Vote (GOTV) activities throughout the election season.
Interested in helping with voter outreach and assistance?
Contact Martha Le Cars ([email protected]) to learn more about upcoming Voter Help events and online volunteer opportunities.
From the Chair
In a 14th-century poem, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote of a "key of remembrance" that unlocks the wisdom and lessons of the past. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, Chaucer’s words take on a special resonance. In these unsettled times, how many of us have lost touch with the bedrock principles upon which our country was founded? Perhaps more than we realize. Yet, it is precisely during challenging times that we need them most.
National days of celebration offer opportunities to reclaim the American “key of remembrance,” by reading essential old documents—the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address—and thereby not only unlocking the wisdom of our founders but also rediscovering the guideposts they set for us on the path to our common future.
It was great to see so many of you in Rennes for our Independence Day picnic! Whether you joined us in person or marked the occasion in your own way, I hope you came away with new insights and new energy for our important work as citizens.
Thank you for being part of our Brittany community. We will always let you know about upcoming events well in advance so you'll have plenty of opportunity to participate. Whether you'd like to help voters, volunteer at an event, learn something new, share your own expertise or talents, or simply enjoy spending time with fellow Americans, we hope you'll join us.
You can always visit us on Facebook and Blue Sky.
— Gregory Sadlek, Brittany Chapter Chair
Upcoming Events
You can always find both in-person and online events on the Democrats Abroad Brittany events page
September Events
🗳️ September 18 and 19 | Rennes | Voter Help (Friday 10:30 AM - Noon and Saturday 3 - 6:30 PM Sat)
Location: Franco-American Institute
Help fellow Americans register and vote. 👀 Watch here. More details to follow in August.
📣 September | Rennes | Student Outreach (date and time TBD)
University of Rennes
Outreach and engagement with American students. 👀 Watch future newsletters and our Events page for updates.
Between now and November, gatherings like this help us stay connected, informed, and ready to act—together.
Join us at more upcoming events —
👉 See more details for all Upcoming Events
Recent Events
July 4 — Picnic and Potluck Brings Our Community Together
Our Fourth of July Picnic was our largest and most joyful event ever, with more people, more activities, more volunteers, and more laughter than we've ever enjoyed at a single event. Then something unexpected happened. Beyond the celebration, the afternoon naturally became a time to exchange ideas, dream together about the future, make plans, and discover new ways each of us could help strengthen democracy back home.
👉 See AMAZING photos and recaps from the 4th of July picnic, softball game, social and more in this month's The Lighter Side
See how one afternoon helped strengthen our community and inspired new ideas, new volunteers, and new friendships.
June 13 — Nantes | The Ultra Rich and Their Threat to Democracy
Professor Marion Pineau, Professor at l’Unversité Permanente in Nantes, explained in French how the Ultra-rich in the USA use their power to weaken and secede from our democracy.
June 10 — Angers Take Back Power Happy Hour
Americans in Angers gathered for another welcoming evening of conversation, connection, and voter engagement as our monthly community events continue to grow.
See photos and more from our June past events
Meet Our Volunteers: Carolyn Campbell
Getting to know the volunteers and members who make our chapter strong.
Carolyn Campbell — 🐸 Portland RESISTS.
While new to our organization, Carolyn is no stranger to France. For more than twenty-five years, she has called various corners of the country home, including Lyon (69), Toulouse (31), Poitiers (86), Nancy (54), Épinal (88), and Bar-le-Duc (55). Her path across France has given Carolyn a broad perspective on the country's local life, and now she's bringing that experience to Rennes, where she's recently made her home.
Carolyn has taken on the role of Rennes Subchapter Leader and has quickly become an important part of our growing team.
👉 Learn more about Carolyn and her work
Feature Article
The Empty Chairs
by Ruth Miller
How Community Deepens Our Understanding of the World Around Us
When I was an engineering and math student at the University of Houston in the mid-1970s, I had a standing appointment every Wednesday at noon. A fellow student named Jorge invited me to lunch with a group of his friends, and the gathering quickly became a ritual.
I used to joke that this weekly lunch was my own private United Nations.
Then one semester, one of the chairs was empty.
At first, I thought my friend had simply decided not to return after summer break. The real reason changed the way I understood politics, democracy, and the people behind the headlines.
Continue Reading → 👉 The Empty Chairs
How to Volunteer
There are countless ways to help and every volunteer strengthens our community. If you’d like to help Americans abroad stay engaged, informed, and ready to vote, we invite you to join us. No prior experience is required — we provide training and guidance, and you can contribute in whatever way fits your schedule.
To get involved, e-mail our Volunteer Coordinator or fill out the DA France Volunteer Form.
For more information about new Brittany—Loire West volunteer opportunities — READ MORE 👉
The Lighter Side 😁
by Ruth Miller
A little joy from your community. Jokes, puns, music and more!
All about the 4th of July 250 celebration of our democracy — in Rennes
Very high quality parody and protest music by "The Resistance" provided the soundtrack for our event.
With Thanks to Our Contributors
This issue was created with the help of volunteers across Brittany and beyond. 👉 See who contributed for July
Stay Connected - Social Media
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👉 Read past newsletters in the archive