News

Saturday September 18, 2010 11:00 – 13:00
Daisy’s Sallad and Sushibar
Åttingsstigen 10, Halmstad
035-10 22 65
(type address in www.hitta.se for directions)

Come meet other Americans and learn how to register to vote in the midterm elections.

Bring your appetite and stay for reasonably priced “Mikey Q’s” American Breakfast Cafe.

If you would like to register, bring your US driver’s license (if you still have one), social security number and complete address of where you last lived in the US.

Questions? nancyeichenlaub@hotmail.com

Steven Hill Lecture with Voter Registration, Book Signing and Dinner
Author Steven Hill will be in Stockholm during his European book tour and will talk to us about his new book Europe’s Promise: Why the European Way is the Best Hope in an Insecure Age. Notably, he will address the EU Parliament in Brussels before arriving in Stockholm.
Mr.Hill’s lecture will take place in Stockholm on Thursday, September 23, 2010, in the Fabian Sal at ABF Huset, Sveavägen 41, followed by a fundraising dinner down the hall at Två Grabbar.
Program:
6:00-7:00 – Voter Registration at a table outside of Europe’s Fabian Salen.
7:00-8:00- Steven Hill Lecture, Promise: Why the European Way is the Best Hope in an Insecure Age, together with a Q & A session and book signing. The lecture is being presented together with ABF Stockholm, free of charge, and open to all, so please bring your friends.
8:00 – Fundraising dinner with Steven Hill as the guest of honor. The dinner is open to Democrats Abroad Sweden members and their guests only and must be pre-paid. Members may bring non-American guests, but, in accordance with US law, members must pay for their non-American guests. To make your dinner reservation, please submit a payment of SEK 300:-/person to DASweden’s bankgiro 5794-8788 by September 16th and make sure to write your name and indicate how many are in your party.
Buffet Menu:
Roast beef salad with coriander
Raw-spiced salmon marinated in lime
Shrimp and glass noodle salad
Vegetarian spring rolls
Fried rice, with egg and cashew nuts
Sweet and spicy kimchi
Green salad
Home-baked bread
Non-alcoholic drinks

About Steven Hill:
Steven Hill is a political writer and the founding director of the Political Reform Program at the New America Foundation. That program, which ceased operations on May 31, 2010, sought to develop the best opportunities for reform, educate opinion leaders and the public about electoral alternatives, and encourage the formation of a broad-based coalition.
Mr. Hill is the author, most recently, of Europe’s Promise: Why the European Way is the Hope Best for an Insecure Age (www.EuropesPromise.org), published in January 2010. His previous books include 10 Steps to Repair American Democracy (2006), Fixing Elections: The Failure of America’s Winner Take All Politics (2003), and Whose Vote Counts (with Bob Richie, 2001).
Mr. Hill’s articles and commentaries have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, International Herald Tribune, Guardian, and other leading publications.
Mr. Hill has appeared on national and local radio and television programs, and has lectured widely in the United States and Europe. He has been a leading force for political reform in the United States for many years.
For more information on Steven Hill and his most recent book, please visit:
www.newamerica.net/people/steven_hill
www.europespromise.org/
http://www.steven-hill.com/
If you are interested in purchasing a signed copy of Steven Hill’s book, the books will be sold at the event and cost SEK 150:- cash.

CELEBRATION of the 90 ANNIVERSARY of the 19th AMENDMENT: WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE with VOTER REGISTRATION at TULLY’S COFFEE on SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2010, 11 AM TO 1 PM
Tully’s Coffee, Götgatan 42, Stockholm – Medborgarplatsen

This month we are celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment: Women’s Suffrage. Honor the women who fought for the right to vote! Come on down and request your ballot for your state primary and/or the General Election on November 2, 2010.

Even if you have already voted in your state primary, the Military Overseas Voters Empowerment Act (MOVE Act) requires you to register/request your absentee ballot for the November 2 General Election.

The MOVE Act directly affects how YOU exercise your right to vote. Signed into law by President Obama in October 2009, MOVE takes effect after your state’s primary and before the election in November.

MOVE both expands your rights as an Overseas Voter and requires you to request your ballots more often.

Here is what Democrats Abroad wants you to know about this important legislation that we lobbied Congress for years to pass:

1. The MOVE Act requires ALL states to provide voter registration applications online.
2. For the November 2010 General Election, ALL states must provide for the electronic transmission of a blank ballot 45 days prior to the election.
3. This means YOU should submit your Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) again, making certain to mark the “electronic” option for receipt of the ballot and include your email address, even if you are registered in a state that has not allowed electronic transmission of voting material in the past, such as New York. Please indicate that you are requesting your ballot for the November 2 General Election in # 6 of the FPCA. If you have not yet requested your ballot for your state primary, you must make a separate
application and indicate “state primary” in #6 of the FPCA.
4. The MOVE Act eliminated all notary requirements.
5. The MOVE Act expands the opportunities for use of the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) in all Federal Elections, including primaries and special elections.
6. The MOVE Act provides for the electronic transmission of a blank ballot 45 days before the election:
a) By email
b) By fax
c) By blank ballot which can be downloaded from the state’s website.
Most states will have decided how they are to implement the MOVE ACT by August 2010, and some will not be able to send ballots on time, such as those with primaries on September 14. In that case, the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) may be used.
It is important to request a ballot for every election, even if your Local Election Official usually sends it to you. There must be a valid request on file in case the results of an election are contested.

You can go to www.votefromabroad.org to fill in and print out your FPCA, or you can attend our in-person Voter Registration events held throughout Sweden. If you have any questions about voting, please contact me at secretary@democratsabroad.se. Democrats Abroad has made a difference in several races in recent elections, so your vote is very important.

We will be sending updates about voting throughout the year. You may also visit our Voting Action Center at www.democratsabroad.org and get the latest news, as well as state-specific and local information.

Here is the Democrats Abroad Sweden Voter Registration Plan for 2010 all over Sweden:

August 28, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, Stockholm, 11 am -1 pm

September 4, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, Stockholm, 11 am -1 pm

September 4, 2010 Phone-banking at English School North, Stockholm, 3-6 pm

September 5, 2010 Phone-banking at English School North, Stockholm, 3-6 pm

September 11, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, Stockholm, 11 am -1 pm

September 15, 2010 Voter Registration and Fall Mingle, Scandic Anglais, Bar 101, Stockholm, 6-9 pm

September 18, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, Stockholm, 11 am -1 pm

September 23, 2010 Voter Registration at ABF Huset, Stockholm, 6-7 pm, before the Steven Hill Lecture (information to follow)

September 25, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, Stockholm, 11 am -1 pm

October 2, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, Stockholm, 11 am -1 pm

October 3, 2010 Voter Registration at Pizza Hut, Gothenburg, 4 pm

October 9, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, Stockholm, 11 am -1 pm

October 14, 2010 FWAB Evening at English School North, Stockholm, 6-9 pm

October 16, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, Stockholm, 11 am -1 pm

October 23, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, Stockholm, 11 am -1 pm

November 2, 2010 General Elections

Our local chapters are in the midst of planning their Voter Registration events for the Fall and will be sending updates.
Why Vote in 2010?
What the Midterm Elections Mean to You:
The Democratic majorities in Congress are in jeopardy. On November 2, all 435 seats in the House and more than a third of the seats in the Senate are at stake. President Obama and Congress have already accomplished so much; your vote in 2010 will help them continue to effect positive change for us all.

There are lots of crucial Senate races: CA, CT, CO, FL, DE, NV, NC, LA, and more. And there are numerous tough House races too. You can make the difference!
THE BIG ISSUES: REAL CHANGE IN JUST 18 MONTHS!
Not since FDR has a president done so much to transform our country.
Health Insurance Reform Bill
Stopped abusive practices of the insurance industry; covers 32 million more Americans.

Recovery Act (Stimulus)
Will save or create 3.5 million jobs; tax cuts for 95% of Americans; $100B for infrastructure.

Nuclear Treaty with Russia (START)
Works towards a world free of nuclear weapons;reduces nuke stockpiles in U.S. & Russia by 30%.

Supreme Court Nominees
Justice Sotomayor, the first Latina; and now Justice Kagan make the Court 1/3 female for the first time in history.

Energy Policy for the Future
Reducing dependence on (foreign) oil; enhances national security; prevents environmental disaster.

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
Equal pay for equal work; helping eliminate pay disparity in the workplace.

Hate Crimes Prevention Act
Expands Federal statutes to crimes motivated by a victim’s sexual orientation,, gender, or disability.

Environmental Progress
Invested $80B in clean energy; conservation projects; restoring/renewing ecosystems.

WHY VOTE DEMOCRAT?

Just imagine these important issues being tackled by
a Republican-controlled Congress:

• Civil Rights, LGBT Equality • Energy Independence
• Immigration Reform • Campaign Finance Reform
• Investment in Education • Lobbying Reform
• Regulating the Financial Industry • Climate Change, Clean Energy

Obviously, there is still so much that needs to be done!

VOTE DEMOCRCAT IN NOVEMBER!
KEEP REAL CHANGE COMING!

Regards,
Sandy Mansson
Democrats Abroad Sweden Secretary and Voter Registration Chair

Democrats Abroad Sweden celebrates the 90th anniversary of women’s right to vote this month! August 26, 2010 marks the anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting women the right to vote.

The women’s suffrage movement was launched in July, 1848, when women’s rights advocates Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized a Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York.

As a result, Susan B. Anthony, who would later become its nationally recognized leader and spokesperson, came on board. In 1920, Carrie Chapman Catt took over the leadership becoming the driving force behind women’s suffrage for the next twenty years.

The word “suffrage” is a Latin word that means vote, political support, to support with one’s vote.

Women fought for it and suffered for it, although as noted in the definition above, the word “suffrage” has nothing at all to do with suffering.

Educated upper-class women stood arm in arm with working class factory workers and clerks. They picketed, handed out leaflets, organized and continued marching despite resistance that was deep, angry and occasionally violent.

Standing on soapboxes, marching in the streets, they were spit on, slapped and insulted. Some landed in jail for their efforts.

The opposition was well organized and well funded; the fight long and brutal. It took 72 years before the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting women the right to vote was made official on August 26, 1920.

A single vote made the difference. “Be a good boy and vote for suffrage,” Harry Burn’s mother told her son before he left on the day of the vote. The 24-year-old legislator from the state of Tennessee listened to the words of his mother and at the last minute changed his vote from a Nay to a Yea in favor of the amendment.

A tie was avoided and Tennessee became the 36th and deciding state to ratify. Because of that one vote, because of the hundreds of thousands of women like Harry Burn’s mother, and certain men like Harry Burns himself, somewhere in your history, a woman, your great grandmother, great aunt, your great, great, became the first woman in your family to vote.

Remember those women when you request your ballot for the November 2nd election. Their perseverance changed the world and so can you!

Come on down to Tully’s Coffee Saturday, August 28 from 11:00am-13:00pm to register and request your ballot for your state primary and/or the General Election on November 2, 2010.

Remember: You must request your ballot for each election now, even if your Local Election Official usually sends it to you. This is a result of the Military Overseas Voters Empowerment Act (MOVE). Men are also welcome!

Voter Registration at Tully’s Coffee
Saturday, August 28, 2010 at 11:00am
Tully’s Coffee, Stockholm, Sweden

This month we are celebrating the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment: Women’s Suffrage.

Honor the women who fought for women’s right to vote! Come on down to register and request your ballot for your state primary and /or the General Election on November 2, 2010.

Remember: As a result of the Military Overseas Voters Empowerment Act (”MOVE”). You must request your ballot for each election even if your Local Election Official usually sends it to you.

Voter Registration at Tully’s Coffee
Saturday, August 28, 2010 at 11:00am to 1 pm
Tully’s Coffee, Götgatan 42, Stockholm – T-Medborgarplatsen

It’s time for our annual 4th of July picnic. Please join Democrats Abroad Sweden from 3-7pm on Sunday, July 4, 2010, for a great time here in Stockholm (bus number 1 from anywhere on its route through Stockholm, e.g. Fridhemsplan) with potluck, hotdogs, beer, and soft drinks. We are on the water, so bring your bathing suits!

Date: Sunday, 4th of July

Time: 3-7 pm

Place: Gammelgårdsvägen 52, Stockholm (Stora Essingen) (Bus number 1, Flottbrovägen). When you get off at Flottbrovägen continue in same direction as bus to the first crossroads, turn right and follow the road to the water. http://kartor.eniro.se/m/pw9mP

Potluck! Please bring salads, desserts, or snacks.

Hot dogs, buns and beverages will be available for purchase. There will also be games for kids (and adults), face painting, and Voter Registration Assistance. Don´t wait until the last minute to request your absentee ballot!

RSVP: judy.furberg@gmail.com by Friday, July 2, 2010 and let us know how many are in your party, and what you are bringing (salad, dessert, or snack). We would also appreciate help with setting up (come at 2pm) and cleaning up and we need volunteers for face painting and leading games.

See you there!

Your contribution to defray expenses for this event and voter registration drives for the US midterm election this fall would be greatly appreciated: http://www.democratsabroad.se/donate-to-democrats-abroad/

VOTER REGISTRATION and SUMMER MINGLE at SCANDIC ANGLAIS BAR 101, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2010, 6-9 PM

Democrats Abroad Sweden will be having Voter Registration and Summer Mingle on Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 6-9 pm at the Scandic Anglais Upstairs Bar 101, Humlegårdsgatan 23, Stockholm. There is no cover charge or pre-signups for the event. Just drop in after work, register to vote with the help of our Voter Registration Committee, and mingle with your friends before going away for the summer. There will be a DJ there.

Even if you have already voted in your state primary, you must register/request your absentee ballot for the November 2 General Election. This is a result of the Military Overseas Voters Empowerment Act.

The MOVE Act directly affects how YOU exercise your right to vote. Signed into law by President Obama in October 2009, MOVE takes effect after your state’s primary and before the election in November.

MOVE both expands your rights as an Overseas Voter and requires you to request your ballots more often.

Here is what Democrats Abroad wants you to know about this important legislation that we lobbied Congress for years to pass:

1. Requires ALL states to provide voter registration applications online.
2. For the November 2010 General Election, ALL states must provide for the electronic transmission of the blank ballot 45 days prior to the election.
3. This means YOU should submit your Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) again, making certain to mark the “electronic” option for receipt of the ballot and include your email address, even if you are registered in a state that has not allowed electronic transmission of voting material in the past, such as New York. Please indicate that you are requesting your ballot for the November 2 General Election in # 6 of the FPCA. If you have not yet requested your ballot for your state primary, you must make a separate
application and indicate “state primary” in #6 of the FPCA.
4. It eliminated all Notary Requirements.
5. It expands the opportunities for use of the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) in all Federal Elections, including primaries and special elections.

You can go to www.votefromabroad.org to fill in and print out your FPCA, or you can attend our in-person Voter Registration events held throughout Sweden. If you have any questions about your voting, please contact me at secretary@democratsabroad.se . Democrats Abroad has made a difference in U.S. elections, so your vote is very important.

Here is the Democrats Abroad Sweden Voter Registration Plan for 2010 with Summer Mingle all over Sweden:

June 16, 2010 Voter Registration and Summer Mingle at Scandic Anglais Bar 101, 6-9 pm

June 5, 2010 DASweden-Halland Voter Registration at Daisy’s Sallad and Sushibar, Åttlingsstigen 10, Halmstad, 11 am to 1 pm.

June 13, 2010 DASweden-Kalmar/Öland Voter Registration, Swedish-American Days

June 19, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, 11 am -1 pm, Götgatan 42, T-Medborgarplatsen

July 2, 3, 4, 2010 DASweden-Skane Voter Registration, American Days

July 4, 2010 DASweden-Skane Voter Registration, Southern Kitchen Café

July 18, 2010 DASweden-Kalmar/Öland Voter Registration, Swedish-American Days

July 4, 2010 DASweden 4th of July Picnic Voter Registration

July 31, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, 11 am -1 pm

August 28, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, 11 am -1 pm

September 4, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, 11 am -1 pm

September 4, 2010 Phone-banking at English School North, 3-6 pm

September 5, 2010 Phone-banking at English School North, 3-6 pm

September 11, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, 11 am -1 pm

September 15, 2010 Voter Registration and Mingle, Scandic Anglais Bar 101, 6-9 pm

September 18, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, 11 am -1 pm

September 25, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, 11 am -1 pm

October 2, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, 11 am -1 pm

October 9, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, 11 am -1 pm

October 14, 2010 FWAB Evening at English School North, 6-9 pm

October 16, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, 11 am -1 pm

October 23, 2010 Voter Registration at Tully’s, 11 am -1 pm

November 2, 2010 General Elections

There will be Voter Registration at all Democrats Abroad events, starting in January, 2010

Regards,
Sandy Mansson
Democrats Abroad Sweden Secretary and Voter Registration Chair

After our Annual Meeting on May 27, 2010, ABF Huset, Hedénsalen, we were inspired by Brian Palmer’s words on Civic Courage and his striking examples of those who dared to take risks and make a difference in the world.

Saturday June 5, 2010 11:00 – 13:00

Daisy’s Sallad and Sushibar

Åttingsstigen 10, Halmstad (type address in www.hitta.se for directions)

Come meet other Americans and learn how to register to vote in the midterm elections.

Maybe stay for reasonably priced “Mikey Q’s” American Breakfast Cafe.

If you would like to register, bring your passport, Social Security number/US driver’s license and complete address of where you last lived in the US.

Questions? nancyeichenlaub(at)hotmail.com

DEMOCRATS ABROAD SWEDEN AND ABF STOCKHOLM PRESENT
Brian Palmer
Civic Courage:
Making a Difference and Paying a Price
After the lecture, there will be an opportunity to ask questions.
Here is a short biographical introduction:
Social anthropologist Brian Palmer is guest lecturer at the Department
of Theology, Uppsala University, and was formerly the Torgny Segerstedt Guest Professor at the University of Gothenburg. In 2002, he was voted Harvard University’s best lecturer. He wrote a doctoral dissertation entitled Wolves at the Door: Existential Solidarity in a Globalizing
Sweden and was co-author of the book, George W. Reinfeldt: The Art of Doing an Extreme Political. He was editor of Global Values 101, a book based on his Harvard courses. Brian Palmer was a summer
host on Swedish Radio in 2004. (Please go to www.brianpalmer.org ) to read more about Brian Palmer.)
• Thursday, May 27, 19:00-20:30, ABF-huset, Sveavägen 41 • Free of Charge
DEMOCRATS
ABROAD
SWEDEN