01.30.08

AALDEF to monitor elections in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland

Posted in Politics at 1:32 am by albert_lim

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) has announced the details of its Asian American Election Protection Project for the 2008 Presidential primaries.

Attorneys, law students and community volunteers will cover 100 poll sites in four states where Asian-language voter assistance is provided and where Asian Americans reported voting barriers or intimidation in recent elections.

AALDEF will monitor elections in New York and New Jersey on Super Tuesday, Feb. 5, and in Virginia and Maryland on Feb. 12 for language assistance (ballots, interpreters, signs and voting materials) and nondiscriminatory implementation of voter identification requirements.

Volunteers speaking Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese will be at poll sites to take complaints from voters about election irregularities and other obstacles. Voters can also report Election Day problems to AALDEF’s toll-free Election Day Hotline at 800-966-5946, or by e-mail to votingcomplaints [at] aaldef [dot] org.

Margaret Fung, AALDEF executive director, said, “We want to ensure that all eligible Asian American voters can participate in the electoral process and have their votes counted.”

One-hour training sessions for volunteers will take place at the following locations and times:

NEW JERSEY – Saturday, Feb. 2
3:00 p.m. - KAVC, 1562 Lemoine Ave, Fort Lee, NJ

6:00 p.m. - APALRC, 1600 K Street NW, Washington, DC

AALDEF has monitored elections and conducted exit polls of Asian American voters in every major election since 1988, noting the steadily growing involvement of first-time voters. To read AALDEF’s report on violations of the Voting Rights Act and Help America Vote Act, and on other incidents of anti-Asian voter disenfranchisement in 25 cities across nine states, check out “Asian American Access to Democracy in the 2006 Elections,” available at AALDEF’s official Web site.

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