Alphabet Soup
Stanley Grossman (past International Treasurer and DNC member) wrote a piece called "Alphabet Soup" for the first Democrats Abroad (DA) Handbook. It was a helpful guide to the many acronyms that are too-easily tossed around our discussions. The latest version of Stanley's work is from 2013 and available from the DPCA-Leadership archives.
This informal guide draws from Stanley's work and intentions, although it is much less discursive. We hope that these short descriptions will help orient new leaders and we welcome your comments and further questions.
Democrats Abroad (DA) and the Democratic Party
CC = Country Committee | Country Committees are constituent units of Democrats Abroad as defined by the DA Charter. We use the term so often that "CC" has become a very common acronym. Members of DA that don't live in countries served by CCs are served directly by their Regional Vice Chair (RVC). The financial relationship between CCs and the rest of the Democratic Party can be counter-intuitive. Stanley wrote: No CC is registered with the FEC... This has several important consequences:
[Note added in 2017: CCs may not accept donations from corporations of any kind, whether American or not.]
If you have further questions about CC finances or you are planning extraordinary fundraisers, you must check with the International Treasurer and International Counsel to ensure that the arrangement follows all applicable laws and practices. This short entry isn't enough to make informed decisions! |
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DPCA = Democratic Party Committee Abroad | This is the official name of the governing committee of Democrats Abroad (DA). The DPCA is the group responsible for the mission of DA and it is distinct from each of the CCs and the full membership of Democrats Abroad. The members of this committee are listed in the Charter Section 2.2 (roughly, the Chair and Vice-Chair of each CC, the Voting Representatives of those CCs with large enough members, the elected officers of the DPCA, and the DNC members representing DA). As Stanley wrote:
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DNC = Democratic National Committee | The Democratic National Committee is the formal governing body of the Democratic Party. It coordinates among state Democratic parties, Democratic candidates, and a variety of constituency groups. Democrats Abroad participates in the DNC via our elected 8 DNC members (6 elected as DNC members, plus our International Chair and International Vice Chair). Stanley explained the relationship between the DNC and the DPCA in terms of financial reporting:
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DCCC = Democratic Congressional Campaign CommitteeDSCC = Democratic Senatorial Campaign CommitteeDLCC = DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATIVE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE | These three organizations are powerful fund-raisers for Democratic candidates, run by Democratic elected officials. They often publish lists of targeted elections that other parts of the Democratic party use to prioritize GOTV energy and funds (although they do not have formal authority and many parts add or subtract from those lists).
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GOTV = Get Out The Vote | This is a core mission of Democrats Abroad and the Democratic Party. For DA, this term covers voter's process from completing the FPCA, through sending back a completed ballot, to checking to verify that the ballot was counted. |
Voter Registration and Voting Law
FPCA = Federal Post Card Application | The Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) is a form that allows military voters, their families, and civilians living overseas to register to vote and request their absentee ballots. Completing the form accurately requires a reference to state rules, typically either a website like http://VoteFromAbroad.org or the reference Voter Assistance Guide (VAG) published by the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP). |
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FWAB = Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot | The Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) is a form that serves as a "backup ballot" for overseas voters. Completing the form accurately requires a reference to state rules, typically either a website like http://VoteFromAbroad.org or the reference Voter Assistance Guide (VAG) published by the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP). |
UOCAVA voters = Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act | The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) is the name of a 1986 law that required the 50 states (as well as territories) to allow absentee voting for US citizens living abroad. "UOCAVA voters" came to mean the group of US citizens whose voting procedures are governed by that Federal law. The act does not apply to state and local elections, which creates a "Federal-only" status for voters in some states. Subsequent laws that further protected the overseas vote include the Help America Vote Act of (HAVA) of 2002 and the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE Act) of 2010. |
LEO = Local Election Official | Ultimately, LEOs decide whether a given FPCA is accepted, when absentee ballots are distributed, and how absentee ballots are integrated into the final count for Federal, state, and local elections. During each Federal election, the troubleshooters of DA's GOTV team interact dozens of times with LEOs to resolve problems that arise between a voter's completion of the FPCA through to the counting and verification of their ballots. |
FVAP = Federal Voting Assistance Program | FVAP is a program within the US Department of Defense that helps military voters, their families, and civilians living overseas to register to vote and request their absentee ballots. FVAP is responsible for the reference to state rules called the Voter Assistance Guide (VAG). |
EAC = Election Assistance Commission | The EAC was created in the wake of the 2000 election. Its certification program for voting systems sets standards for America’s voting machines and its recommendations help improve accessibility at the polls for voters with disabilities. The EAC provides best practices on voting and election administration for local election officials. The EAC also protects the right to vote for U.S. citizens living abroad by compiling data about overseas absentee ballots and tracking compliance with Federal laws and rules established. |
Regulation of Political Activities
FEC = Federal Election Commission | The FEC regulates the donations that the DPCA relies upon as well as the political activities of the DPCA including coordination (or the legally mandated lack thereof) with candidates, political action committees, and other parts of the Democratic Party such as state parties. As Stanley wrote:
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Issues and Advocacy
FATCA = Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act | Straight from the one-page document distributed during DA's 2017 door-knock on Capitol Hill:
The expert committee of DA leaders devoted to responding to FATCA has been called: FATCA Task Force, FBAR/FATCA Task Force, and as of June 2017, Taxation Task Force. There is a wealth of information on this wiki about FATCA and other elements of tax law, including the FBAR, which is an abbreviation for "FinCEN Form 114 Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts". |
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RBT = Residence Based Taxation | From the FAQ published by the Taxation Task Force in May 2017:
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