APIAs Across the Nation Prepare to Protect The APIA Vote

October 27, 2004

Washington, DC – With less than a week before the election, Asian Pacific Islander Americans are tirelessly mobilizing to ensure eligible voters are educated on important issues affecting the community and get out to the polls November 2. An unprecedented number of APIAs have already cast their ballots via early and absentee voting. Millions more will race to the polls in just 5 days, including legions of newly registered APIA voters.

In order to ensure these voters, one-third of whom will be voting for the first time, are able to cast their ballots on Tuesday, APIAVote, led by national partner, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), is staffing a National APIA Voter Complaint Hotline and conducting election monitoring and exit polling in eight states.

Through AALDEF, APIAVote will monitor elections in Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia for Asian-language ballots, interpreters and other voting materials required under section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, anti-Asian voter discrimination, and proper implementation of HAVA's new voter identification and verification requirements, which will be in full effect in November. Through community partners and allies, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium, will also monitor elections and conduct exit polls throughout California, in Texas, and Washington.

The National APIA Voter Complaint Hotline, 800-966-5946 , is set up to receive complaints of voter discrimination, intimidation, and denial of language assistance. Telephone assistance will be provided in nearly 20 APIA languages – Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Toisanese), Korean, Tagalog, Hindi, Punjabi, and English to name a few. Additionally, APIAVote partnered with Election Protection, a coalition of civil rights organizations, to translate and distribute Voter Bill of Rights for 7 states into APIA languages.

"In 2000, as the nation focused on voting problems in Florida, in New York City ballots flipped the translated party headings with Democrats listed as Republicans and vice versa; interpreter shortages led to Asian voters being turned away because there was no one to assist them; and poll workers were rude, hostile, and made racist remarks about Asian American voters and their English proficiency,” said AALDEF staff attorney Glenn D. Magpantay. “We will guard against the disenfranchisement of new citizens and first-time voters in November. Over six hundred attorneys, law students, and volunteers will cover precincts where there has been a history of voter intimidation and racist remarks made by elected officials against APIAs.”

“ APIAs are working closely with civil rights advocates across the country to ensure APIAs will be able to voice our vote November 2,” said Janelle Hu, APIAVote National Director. “APIAs can also find their polling place, learn on what type of machine they will cast their vote, and get instructions on how to use that machine by going online to www.mypollingplace.com . APIAVote has been working hard to inform and empower APIA voters and look forward to our record turnout November 2.”