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Volunteer Sign-Up Forms Now Available Online

In past elections, Asian Americans have faced a series of barriers in exercising their right to vote. For example, poll workers were rude, hostile, or racially discriminatory, poll sites had too few interpreters and so Asian American voters were turned away because there was no one to assist them, translated voting materials were missing or hidden from voters, and ballots have been mistranslated, one time listing Democratic candidates as Republicans. Then, when the news media reported on election returns and the vote by specific groups, Asian Americans were overlooked.

In response, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund has conducted a non-partisan survey of Asian American voters to document Asian American voting patterns. AALDEF has also monitored the elections for compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act, which mandates bilingual ballots and forbids anti-Asian voter discrimination.

On November 7, 2006, AALDEF will be monitoring the elections and conducting non-partisan voter surveys at polling sites in Asian American neighborhoods in at least eight states. We need your help.

In 2004 elections, 1,200 volunteers worked with more than 11,000 Asian American voters in these eight states: New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland, as well as Washington, D.C. Volunteers are needed to administer a multi-lingual voter survey in one or more 3-hour shifts and document voting problems on Election Day. Polls are generally open from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

There will be a one-hour training session for all volunteers. All volunteers must be non-partisan during the time they help. Please consider volunteering your time. Thank you!

Click Here to sign up to be a National exit poll volunteer.

Attorneys, click Here to sign up to be a 203 monitor.