APIAVote partnered with the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) and the Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota (LACM) in 2006 to mobilize Lao voters to the polls in the Twin Cities, Central and Southwest Minnesota.

The LACM was initially created to respond to the critical needs of the Lao refugee and immigrant population in Minnesota and assist in their social adjustment, education, and economic and social self-sufficiency. For over 30 years, the LACM has been the only agency serving the comprehensive needs of the ethnic Lao population in Minnesota, whose numbers are estimated to be between 20,000 – 25,000. In collaboration with APIAVote and SEARAC, the LACM turned their attention to engaging the Lao community on the importance of voter participation and education.

The voter mobilization effort targeted the Lao community through four major efforts – a direct mailer, a pilot phone bank operation, direct-voter contact and staffing a hotline service. The seven-page mailer, which was translated into Lao, was sent to over 900 households and addressed voter registration, election protection and frequently asked questions. The pilot phone bank operation recruited volunteers from the various Lao college student organizations to call 369 first time voters in the Lao community to encourage them to vote. The LACM also attended cultural celebrations and visited community institutions, including Lao Buddhist temples. Finally, LACM, in partnership with the League of Women Voters, established a hotline number, 1-612-374-4976, and fielded approximately 100 inquiries regarding election protection and polling location, and arranged for transportation to the polls.

APIAVote and SEARAC provided strategic guidance to LACM on developing a field plan to engage their membership. APIAVote developed all of the phone bank materials and also provided many of the documents for the mailer that LACM translated into Lao.

LACM also translated APIAVote’s Register to Vote flyer into Lao for visibility purposes at community events.