November 5, 2012
888-API-VOTE Hotline
Phone lines are open now
Phone lines are open now
While enthusiasm for voting is high, voting can be a complicated process, even more so if your first language is not English. So, it is important for Asian Americans to learn about voting – what type of ID is accepted at the polls, what rights you have when voting – especially the right to language assistance, and what to do if you encounter any problems at the polls.
To help Asian Americans vote, AAJC and APIAVote will be running an Asian-language Election Protection hotline, 1-888-API-VOTE (274-8683). on Election Day and the day before Election Day. The hotline will be live from 7:00am -7:00pm on Monday, November 5, and from 5:30am – 7:30pm on Tuesday, November 6. We will provide assistance in Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, Thai, and Vietnamese.
Voters can call in with any questions they have about voting, or to report any problems at the polls. Questions such as, “where is my polling place?” and “what type of ID should I bring?” can be easily answered by our staff. Trained staff is also on hand to address any problems that may arise. For example, if you have difficulty with English, you have the right to bring a friend or family member into the voting booth to help you vote, but not all poll workers may know about this right (as provided by Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act) and may wrongly turn people away.
If a poll worker wrongly turns you away from the polls because of this or refuses to allow you to vote with the assistance of your choice, call 1-888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) and we can help you address the issue so that you can vote. In fact, if anyone calls your eligibility to vote into question or tries to hinder your ability to vote for any reason, call 1-888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) and someone will be able to assist you.