Volunteers Needed for AALDEF’s Election Protection Program

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The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund is in need of volunteers to survey Asian American voters and protect their vote. In past elections, Asian Americans have faced a series of barriers in exercising their right to vote. For example, poll workers were hostile and made racist remarks, poll sites had too few interpreters to assist Asian American voters, translated voting materials were missing or hidden from voters, and ballots were mistranslated listing Democratic candidates as Republicans, and vice versa. When the news media reported on election results and the vote by specific groups, Asian Americans were often overlooked. 

Since 1988, AALDEF has conducted exit polls of Asian American voters and monitored polls in every major election. Help us continue to resolve these issues at the polls by taking part in AALDEF’s 2018 Asian American Election Protection Program. On Election Day, November 6th, volunteers will document voter problems and the availability of language assistance. They will also conduct a nonpartisan multilingual exit poll to get a snapshot of Asian American candidate preferences, party enrollment, and issues of significance to Asian American voters.  

To read AALDEF’s report on the Asian American Vote, click here. Click here to sign up to volunteer. Attendance at one training session is required for all volunteers. All volunteers must be non-partisan and work a 3-hour shift. CLE trainings are 90 minutes, and attorneys can receive 1.5 CLE credits including 0.5 ethics credit. AABANY is the CLE provider for the New York training sessions. If you have volunteered in the past, you do not have to attend another training, but you must register to volunteer again. 

For more information, contact AALDEF Democracy Program Director Jerry Vattamala or Voting Rights Organizer Judy Lei at 800-966-5946 or [email protected].

AALDEF.org

AALDEF.org

Volunteers Needed in New York: Asian American Election Protection and Poll Monitoring, Defending Asian American Voting Rights

Trainings Sessions are on Tuesday, Oct. 15, Wednesday, Oct. 16 and Tuesday, Oct. 28

10/15/14 – 12 noon – Shearman & Sterling, 599 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022

10/16/14 – 12 noon – Weil Gotshal, 767 5th Ave, New York, NY 10153

10/16/14 – 6 p.m. – Wilson Elser, 150 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10017

10/28/14 – 12 noon – Baker Hostetler, 45 Rockefeller Plaza #10, New York, NY 10111

10/28/14 – 6 p.m. – Debevoise & Plimpton, 919 Third Ave, New York, NY 10022

AALDEF seeks volunteers to monitor the November 4th  elections for compliance with the federal Voting rights Act and to document instances of anti-Asian voter disenfranchisement. Our Asian American Election Protection and Poll Monitoring Project will be conducted in Massachusetts, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland,  Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

In past elections, Asian Americans have faced a series of barriers in exercising their right to vote.  For example, poll workers were hostile and made racist remarks, poll sites had too few interpreters to assist Asian American voters, translated voting materials were missing or hidden from voters, and ballots were mistranslated listing Democratic candidates as Republicans, and vice versa. When the news media reported on election results and the vote by specific groups, Asian Americans were often overlooked.

On November 4, 2014, AALDEF, along with other Asian American groups and bar associations, will be monitoring the elections and conducting non-partisan voter surveys at poll sites in Asian American neighborhoods.

We need your help. Advanced registration required. Signup at  http://www.aaldef.net/volunteer_monitor_form.aspx.   

Polling sites in New York are in:

  • NYC – Chinatown
  • Brooklyn – Kensington, Sunset Park
  • Queens – Flushing, Richmond Hill, Midwood, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Floral Park, and Jamaica

Trainings Sessions are on Tuesday, Oct. 15, Wednesday Oct. 16 and Tuesday, Oct. 28 (Light lunch/dinner will be provided)

10/15/14 – 12 noon – Shearman & Sterling, 599 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022

10/16/14 – 12 noon – Weil Gotshal, 767 5th Ave, New York, NY 10153

10/16/14 – 6 p.m. – Wilson Elser, 150 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10017

10/28/14 – 12 noon – Baker Hostetler, 45 Rockefeller Plaza #10, New York, NY 10111

10/28/14 – 6 p.m. – Debevoise & Plimpton, 919 Third Ave, New York, NY 10022

This 90-minute training session is required for all volunteers. (Attorneys can receive 1.5 CLE credits including 0.5 ethics credit.)  All volunteers must be non-partisan and work a 3-hour shift. 

For more information, contact AALDEF Staff Attorney Jerry Vattamala or Voting Rights Organizer Judy Lei at 800-966-5946 or [email protected].

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List as of September 17, 2014

National Co-Sponsors

Alliance of South Asian American Labor

APIAVote

Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development

National Korean American Service & Education Consortium

National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance

North American South Asian Bar Association

OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates

South Asian Americans Leading Together

Local Co-Sponsors

APIA Vote – Michigan

Asian American Society of Central Virginia

Boat People SOS Delaware Valley – PA

Center for Pan Asian Community Services – GA

Chhaya CDC – NY

Chinese Community Federation of Atlanta – GA

Chinese Progressive Association – MA

Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia

Hunter College/CUNY, Asian American Studies Program – NY

Korean American Civic Empowerment of NY/NJ

MinKwon Center for Community Action – NY

OCA Georgia Chapter

OCA Greater Houston Chapter

Princeton Asian American Students Association – NJ

University of Maryland, College Park, Asian American Studies Program

University of Massachusetts Boston, Asian American Studies Program

Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association of New Orleans – LA

Legal Co-Sponsors

Asian American Bar Association of Houston

Asian American Bar Association of New York

Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts

Asian American Legal Advocacy Center of Georgia

Asian Bar Association of Las Vegas – NV

Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Washington, DC

Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania

Asian Pacific American Lawyers Assoc. of New Jersey

Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center – DC

Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association

Greater Boston Legal Services: Asian Outreach Unit – MA

Korean Amer. Bar Assoc. of the Washington DC Area

Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater NY

Louisiana Asian Pacific American Bar Association

Pace Law School, Public Interest Law Center – NY

South Asian Bar Association of New York – NY

Suffolk U. Law School, Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service – MA

and Asian Pacific American Law Student Association chapters across the country.

NYC Board of Elections is Searching for Language Interpreters

The Board of Elections in the City of New York has interpreter vacancies for Chinese and Spanish in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and for Korean in Queens.  Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated.  Anyone interested in working election day can email [email protected]  or can apply online here https://electiondayworker.com/ .

The Board also has an ad on the www.nyc.gov homepage under “NYC Programs & Initiatives”

Applicants can also visit their borough office for more information:

Brooklyn
345 Adams Street, 4 Fl
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Tel: 1.718.797.8800
Fax: 1.718.246.5958
Hours of Operation – 9 A.M.- 5 P.M.

Queens
126-06 Queens Boulevard
Kew Gardens, NY 11415
Tel: 1.718.730.6730
Fax: 1.718.459.3384
Hours of Operation – 9A.M.– 5 P.M.

Manhattan
200 Varick Street, 10Flr
New York, NY 10014
Tel: 1. 212.886.2100
Fax: 1. 646.638.2047
Hours of Operation – 9A.M.– 5 P.M.

Staten Island
1 Edgewater Plaza, 4 Fl
Staten Island, NY 10305
Tel: 1.718.876.0079
Fax: 1.718.876.0912
Hours of Operation – 9A.M. – 5P.M.

Bronx
1780 Grand Concourse, 5 Fl
Bronx, NY 10457
Tel: 1.718.299.9017
Fax: 1. 718.299.2140
Hours of Operation – 9 A.M. – 5 P.M.