Asian American and Pacific Islanders Across the Nation Prepare to Vote

APIA Vote Executive Director, Christine Chen reports, “With the increase in voter mobilization efforts, election protection efforts remain critical to ensuring that each and every vote is counted.  Regrettably, our partners have documented discriminatory behavior by individuals and institutions alike.  Prior volunteers have identified mistranslated ballots, interpreter shortages, and racist behavior from poll workers toward Asian Americans.  This year, we will continue to fight against the disenfranchisement of Asian American and Pacific Islander voters to ensure that we are active participants in the political process.”

In order to ensure that the Asian American and Pacific Islander vote is adequately protected, APIAVote and its partner the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance created “Ten Steps to Protect Your Vote.”  (Local contact name), (local contact title) states, “It has been proven that once AAPIs register to vote, we are highly likely to vote.  However, barriers still remain for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to engage in the voting process.  Efforts by local advocates, as well as APIAVote, help us overcome these obstacles.” 

Ten Steps to Protect Your Vote

1.       Call the local elections office to verify the location of your polling place and ask about any new voting procedures or requirements. Locations may have changed, and a vote cast at the wrong place might not get counted.  Ask about any new procedures or ID requirements.

2.       Check to make sure you are registered. If you just registered this year and did not receive a registration card in the mail, check to make sure that there were no problems with your registration.  It is important to check especially if you have moved recently, changed your name, or have not voted in recent elections.

3.       Find out whether you can vote early.  If it is allowed, then do it.

4.       Bring identification to the polls in case it is needed, preferably government-issued ID or a utility bill, phone bill or paycheck with your name and current street address.

5.       Ask for help from poll workers and check posted information signs if you have questions or need assistance.

6.       Make sure you cast a vote.  If you arrive late in the day and are in line when the polls close, you should stay in line because you are entitled to vote.

7.       If you are offered a provisional ballot because of a question about your eligibility, ask if you can cast a regular ballot by providing additional ID or if you have moved recently, by going to your previous polling place. If no alternative is available or practical, cast a provisional ballot.

8.       Bring in a friend.  Voters can be assisted and accompanied into the ballot booth by a person of their choice to translate the ballot for them. 

9.       If you have a voting rights problem, ask to speak with the chief election official or a voting rights volunteer at the polls or call the toll-free nationwide Election Protection Hotline, 1-866-OUR-VOTE, a project of a coalition of groups promoting voting rights.

10.   Report voting irregularities or voting by provisional ballot to AALDEF.  Call 1-800-966-5946 or email votingcomplaints@aaldef.org.  The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) is working to ensure that all API provisional ballots are counted!

Historically AAPIs have been subjected to voter intimidation, a situation documented by advocates who continue to cite the unpleasant circumstances of racial discrimination that AAPIs encounter from poll workers and institutions. Concerns continue to be raised regarding fraudulent voter machines, purged voter files and countless instances of intimidation tactics inflicted on first-time voters and naturalized citizens. 

APIAVote’s other partners, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) and the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) will provide direct voter assistance and field programs in targeted states.  AALDEF’s Election Protection 2006 efforts will include more than 500 attorneys, law students and volunteers who will cover 150 poll sites in eight states where Asian language assistance is provided, where Asian American voter registration has increased, or where Asian American voters have historically experienced intimidation.  AAJC is working with Election Protection, the nation’s largest nonpartisan voter protection coalition, to organize a nonpartisan voter hotline, 866-OUR-VOTE, to be staffed by volunteer attorneys, law students and paralegals.  Anticipated problems include dissemination of misinformation by poll workers, problems associated with voting machines, and potential voter intimidation.

“AAPIs are working closely with civil rights advocates and with local partners across the country to ensure AAPIs will be able to participate in the election, free of voter intimidation, on November 7,” said Christine Chen, APIAVote Executive Director.  “AAPIs can also find their polling place, learn what type of machine they will us to cast their vote, and get instructions on how to use the voting machine by going online to www.mypollingplace.com.  APIAVote and its partners have been working hard to inform and empower APIA voters, and we look forward to our collective turnout November 7.”  

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The Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) is a national non-partisan, nonprofit organization that encourages and promotes civic participation of Asian Pacific Islander Americans in the electoral and public policy processes at the national, state and local levels.

Click here to download multilingual election protection flyers in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Tagalog.