Call your congress people
Picking up the phone is one of the most powerful tools we have to create change. Turn your anger into action by calling your elected officials. Daily.
A curated list of guides and useful technology to get you started1.
By now, most of you know about 5calls, a great app you can use to target your congress people, make 5calls a day, complete with scripts that match your issue, your anger as to what is happening to our democracy.
Question: Does 5Calls work when calling abroad?
A. There should not be a problem when using the app or website abroad. Make sure not to use the automatic location functionality and instead type a location where you normally vote in the US.
Resources
Raise the roof with calls 🔗 - guidelines from Democrats Abroad (DA) to make your calls more effective and efficient. Includes links to apps and websites that can help automate the process.
Take Action 🔗 - a curated list of issues from DA Resists. find the issues that matter to you most. Translate your anger into action with scripts you can use when calling.
Optimists Unite on Reddit 🔗 ⚠︎
The ultimate guide to calling your elected representatives. While Reddit sometimes gets a ‘bad rap’ , this guide is thorough and provides quick-start tips.
Resistbot guide 🔗
Start by entering the keyword TRENDING into the (ro)bot to see what campaigns or petitions are trending. Reach a wider audience and have a greater impact on the issues of importance to you.
Useful technology
ResistBot - Web 🔗
Issues with Calling
Some people in Portugal have reported that international calls are too expensive -or- that their calls from Portuguese mobile number are getting blocked at the Congressional switchboard.
You can purchase a low-cost, pay-as-you-go plan from Tello2 for as little as $6 per month with unlimited free calling to the U.S. Helpfully, Tello allows you to initiate a call plan from abroad. Download the 5calls app referenced above and use it in conjunction with your Tello number. Tello makes it simple and fast to install an eSIM from Portugal.
If you mobile phone doesn’t support eSIM, you can order a physical SIM card and have it delivered, although admittedly that won’t be a particularly FAST solution to your problem. Another possible way to go is to install a landline phone (remember them?) through Vodafone. Reportedly, Vodafone has a promotion that will give you a landline phone for as little as 10€ per month.
Democrats Abroad Portugal does not endorse specific technologies. We don’t collect affiliate revenue from any of the links here.
Yes, you can initiate a Tello account from Portugal. Details are available on the company’s blog.
Update on Tello: Reportedly, the company has made it difficult to initiate an e-SIM from a foreign country. People in the know on Reddit report that you can still initiate an e-SIM from Portugal but you need to make sure that you are either 1) using a VPN and/or 2) the phone needs to be an “American” phone not one you purchased in Portugal. If you have an ‘old iPhone’ or Android phone sitting in a drawer, use that. Calls to congress not using an American number get blocked is why you need to go through these contortions. Sigh.