Uplifting the Minority Voter | Improve Support Structures at our Polling Sites

We want to ensure all Americans can fully exercise their right to vote.

Problem

Going to the polls to vote is an important and meaningful experience, but can become uncomfortable for many voters. Minority voters in particular are likely to face improper treatment such as inappropriate requests for identification, missing or misspelled names in voter rolls, and lack of language accessibility. 

The poll workers who must mediate these problems are often overburdened or exhausted, and the national shortage of qualified poll volunteers can lead to long lines or mass confusion. 

Our Plan

Careful enforcement, thorough training of poll workers, and better recruitment of interpreters and multilingual poll workers are essential for preserving access to vote and improving exit poll inclusivity.

• Invest in stronger recruitment and training practices for poll workers. 

  • Require anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training for all poll workers.

  • Replicate Precinct Performance Reports in precincts without review procedures, and ensure that all evaluate compliance with multilingual ballots and language assistance requirements.

  • Develop youth recruitment programs at county levels, which provide training and compensation, as well as civic engagement experience for motivated students over the ages of 16 or 17.

  • Vet exit polls for language accessibility and inclusivity of questions.

• Improve clarity and accessibility of voter information.

  • Coordinate with organizations like All Voting is Local in order to remove barriers to registration for minority voters, and inform constituents about voting rights violations in their area. 

  • Translate and distribute voter rights briefs and legal aid information to voter turnout organizations in minority communities.

This Matters 

In 2018, not only were minority populations 10% less likely to be registered to vote than white, non-Hispanic groups, but they were also less likely to actually cast a ballot. Within these communities, the Asian American voter participation rates consistently came out on the bottom. 

Despite being the fastest-growing racial group in the country (increasing at over four times the rate of the total U.S. population), politicians consistently neglect Asian Americans in their campaign outreach, and further alienate them as voters. 

Voting and exit polls are essential for helping elected officials address the needs and concerns of our vulnerable communities, which means that inclusivity needs to be prioritized on Election Day. Stopping the dangerous cycle of non-participation begins with language assistance, qualified poll workers, and proper enforcement of voters’ rights.