The ‘Not In Our Name’ project called for a night of resistance on Nov. 2 at Union Square in Manhattan, New York. An artwork by Chitra Ganesh was on display at the rally.

Indian American political activists gave anecdotal evidence that the community came out in greater numbers this time to vote on the Presidency. Perhaps, more than anything else, that signifies a higher level of commitment to the political process than ever before.

However, organizations like the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) and the Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIA), complained that there were several instances of voter problems even as they acknowledged the high turnout.

The ‘Not In Our Name’ project called for a night of resistance on Nov. 2 at Union Square in Manhattan, New York. Maya Sen from Nepal represented the ‘Blue Triangle Network,’ an anti-repression group, at the rally. (Photos: Priyanka Mehra)

“This election cycle the APIA community is exhibiting unparalleled excitement and proving to be a local force in several precincts and counties where the APIA population grows, registers and votes in states like Washington, Nevada, Minnesota, Oregon, and Michigan,” said the APIA.

“A heavy turnout of Asian-American voters in the Presidential election, especially among new citizen and first-time voters, was marred by complaints about racist poll workers, improper demands for identification, and a shortage of Asian-language interpreters at polling sites throughout New York and New Jersey,” said the AALDEF.

The AALDEF, which says it dispatched over 600 volunteer attorneys, students and community workers to over 175 poll sites in eight states, reported that Asian American voters throughout the country faced obstacles in exercising their right to vote.

“Asian American voters were subjected to racial profiling at the polls, since they were routinely asked for identification in order to establish their eligibility to vote, even when it was not required,” Margaret Fung, executive director of AALDEF, told News India-Times and cited the following examples which the organization later sent out as a press release:

n At PS 69 in Jackson Heights, Queens, poll workers blamed voters for holding up the lines: “You Oriental guys are taking too long to vote.” Several Asian American voters told AALDEF monitors that they felt rushed when they were voting.

n At Grace Church in Jersey City, N.J., a police officer pulled an Asian-American voter out of the voting booth, admonishing her that she should wait on line until called.

n Two instances in Queens, where an unusually large number of voters in Asian-American neighborhoods appeared at their regular polling places and then were told to go to different sites. At PS 115 in Floral Park, Queens, over 100 mostly South Asian voters were turned away and told to go to two other polling sites –– PS 266 or PS 161. At PS 20 in Flushing, Queens, over 70 Asian American voters were turned away and told to go to PS 189 or St. Andrew’s Church.

n At PS 250 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Asian American voters were told to stand in one line and then were told to go to another line for their proper election district. General confusion about where voters should go to vote could not be easily resolved, because individuals could not get through to the NYC Board of Elections voter hotline.

n AALDEF monitors reported that Asian American voters were routinely asked for identification, even though they had voted in several previous elections. The instances cited included PS 131 in Manhattan’s Chinatown; PS 115 in Floral Park, Queens; PS 100 in Richmond Hill, Queens; PS 145 in Jackson Heights, Queens; PS 250 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; Rosenthal Senior Center in Flushing, Queens; Grace Church in Jersey City, N.J.; and Senior Citizens Building at Palisades Park, N.J.

n AALDEF monitors reported that poll workers at PS 100 in Richmond Hill, Queens; PS 250 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; PS 131 in Manhattan’s Chinatown and Rosenthal Senior Center in Flushing, Queens, refused to offer provisional (affidavit) ballots to voters who requested them.

AALDEF also conducted multilingual exit polls of Asian American voters at polling sites in eight states (New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Illinois and Michigan). Preliminary results of the 2004 exit polls was to be released shortly.