Asian American
Justice Center
1140 Connecticut Avenue NW
Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-296-2300
Fax: 202-296-2318

Voting Rights Publications & Materials

To order hardcopies of any of our publications, please send an e-mail to information@advancingequality.org.

Election Reform and Other Related Issues

FACTSHEET: INDIANA VOTER PHOTO ID CASE BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT – Gives an overview of AAJC’s amicus brief in the Indiana Voter ID case.

FACTSHEET: THE THREAT OF VOTER PHOTO ID REQUIREMENTS – Provides an overview of why voter IDs are harmful and why arguments in support of voter IDs do not hold up.

HAVA 2008 Check-In: Is HAVA Working For or Against You? – This handbook provides background information, concerns and issues with implementation, and some recommendations for a number of the most relevant provisions. Community leaders and advocates can assess their state’s approach to these particular topics and work with their election officials, as necessary, to augment upon what procedures are in place to improve the election process for Asian American and all American voters.

Election-related Information

Elections 2008

FACTSHEET: My Right To The Assistance Of My Choice While Voting – Explains a voter’s right to have an assistor of choice while voting at the polling place and in the voting booth under federal law and what one can do if that right is being violated.

FACTSHEET: Voter Challenges At The Polls – Gives a brief overview of voter challenges at the polls against Asian Americans and who to notify if such voter challenges occur.

2006 Election Day Fact Sheet - Gives a brief Election Day overview of suggestions, advice, and your voting rights.

Sound Barriers: Asian Americans and Language Access in Election 2004 - The report details the barriers faced by Asian Americans who voted during last year’s elections and underscores the importance of providing access to the ballot for Asian Americans with limited English proficiency.

NAPALC Report on Election 2004 - Preliminary reports show that Asian American voters turned out in unprecedented numbers across the country, but many faced obstacles at the polls. During Election 2004, the Asian American Justice Center worked on a variety of projects to ensure full participation of Asian American voters.

Voting Rights Act

Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act

AAJC Testimony
June 13, 2006 Official Statement of Karen K. Narasaki
President and Executive Director, Asian American Justice Center
Before the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate
Hearing on S. 2703,“Continuing Need for Section 203's Provisions for Limited English Proficient Voters”
May 4, 2006 Official Oral Testimony of Karen K. Narasaki
President and Executive Director, Asian American Justice Center
Before the Subcommittee on the Constitution Committee on the Judiciary, United States House of Representatives
Legislative Hearing on H.R. 9,"A Bill to Reauthorize and Amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965: Part II"
May 4, 2006 Official Statement of Karen K. Narasaki
President and Executive Director, Asian American Justice Center
Before the Subcommittee on the Constitution Committee on the Judiciary, United States House of Representatives
Legislative Hearing on H.R. 9,"A Bill to Reauthorize and Amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965: Part II"
The VRA and Asian Americans
The Voting Rights Act and Asian Americans Information Kit
In the face of a sunset date of 2007 for certain provisions of the Voting Rights Act (including Section 203 language assistance provisions), AAJC has been engaged in working towards the reauthorization of the VRA.
AAJC has developed an information kit to educate community members on the importance of the VRA to political empowerment of Asian American voters and how its provisions helps to prevent discrimination against Asian Americans during the voting process. Included in the information kit are the following materials:
History of the Voting Rights Act & Asian Americans;
Real-Life Stories of Asian Americans & the VRA;
What Everyone Should Know about the VRA;
What You Can Do to Help (includes sample letter to the editor, ways to share your story) (courtesy of LCCR & LCCREF – www.renewthevra.org)
Protect Voting Rights: Renew the Voting Rights Act - 2005 marks 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and the beginning of debate (anticipated for 109th Congress) concerning the renewal of temporary revisions that expire in 2007. The gains of the last 40 years will be severely compromised if these provisions of the VRA are not protected.

Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act

Bilingual Voting Assistance: How to Use the Voting Rights Act Handbook
Provides community leaders and other interested parties with critical information concerning the implementation of Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act. This handbook reflects the newly covered jurisdictions and languages under Census 2000.

Federal Government Information

Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act: Fact Sheet - Provides a short overview of Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act and identifies the jurisdictions that must provide language assistance.
Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act Brochure
Official brochure from the U.S. Department of Justice on Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, which mandates that juridictions with heavy limited English proficient populations must provide written and oral language assistance during the voting process.
Federal Register Notice of Determination Under Section 203 - Official publication defining the covered jurisdictions under Section 203 of the Voting Right Act based on Census 2000 numbers.

Asian America Participates

Voting in the Asian Pacific American Community: Asserting Our Rights, Asserting Our Voice

This thorough, indispensable handbook is a practical, hands-on guide for individuals, community leaders, and organizations to improve the current level of political and civic engagement among Asian American communities and increase Asian American access in the voting process. It discusses four major aspects of Asian American voting rights necessary to increase the ability of Asian American communities in becoming politically and civically engaged—the Census, redistricting, voting access and policy, and community participation. This handbook also provides an overview of voting laws and policies, including important policies like Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act (bilingual assistance for elections) and the Help American Vote Act, and their implications for the Asian American community, as well as sample forms and plans that can be used for exit polling, voter registration, and poll monitoring.

To order copies of Voting in the Asian Pacific American Community, please return this order form to AAJC. If you have any questions about the new handbook, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Project VOTE! A Report on Lessons Learned About Increasing Civic Engagement in Southeast Asian Communities - The report released by the Southeast Asian Resource Action Center (SEARAC), the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) highlights lessons learned from the Voting Orientation Training and Empowerment Project (Project VOTE), a study of two Southeast Asian American communities and their voting behaviors. Also included in the report are recommendations and strategies for future work on increasing civic participation and political empowerment with Southeast Asian Americans.

Appendix A: The Hmong Experience

Appendix B: The Cambodian Experience

PROJECT VOTE Media Kit - Elected officials need to recognize Southeast Asian American voices on important issues such as education, the economy, and immigration. To that end we have developed a media kit to provide information to educate community members on important issues and help raise visibility for Southeast Asian American voters. Included in the kit are:

An Op-Ed/Editorial to encourage community members to vote;
Ten Things You May Not Know About the Southeast Asian American Voter;
A Voter Guide on important issues to the Southeast Asian American community; and
Media Contact List.

We hope that these resources will help you in your efforts to inform community members of the importance of voting and increase attention to Southeast Asian Americans in this election

ENSURING ASIAN AMERICAN POLITICAL PARTICIPATION Information Kit
With weeks to go before the November 2nd election, the Asian American Justice Center has engaged in three voting rights projects to help ensure Asian American political participation: Election Protection 2004, Access to Democracy and Project VOTE.

AAJC has developed an information kit to educate community members on our voting rights projects and to provide information for people who are interested in volunteering to help this effort. Included in the information kit are the following materials:

• Volunteer Announcement for Election Protection 2004;
• Access to Democracy Backgrounder;
• Project VOTE Backgrounder;
• NAPALC Voting Right Project Contact List; and
• Media Contact List.

Other Materials

The Impact of Redistricting in Your Community - Provides answers to frequently asked questions, provides an overview of the legal issues affecting voting rights, details the new redistricting standards, provides a broad overview of the voting rights act and the connection between the 2000 Census and redistricting.
Top 50 Congressional Districts by Asian Population - Ranks the top 50 Congressional Districts by number of Asian American residents, based on numbers from Census 2000 for the 108th Congress.
The Votes of Asian Pacific Americans Matter: 2004 Election - This U.S. map highlights the states in which Asian Americans can make a difference in the federal electoral process.
Campaign Finance Reform & Legal Permanent Residents - This fact sheet addresses critical First Amendment issues of legal permanent residents and campaign contributions.