Many Asian Americans typically don’t vote. These resources can empower you to help change that.
By Editorial Staff
N
o matter who you are or what your political beliefs, you can probably agree that this November’s US election will be consequential. As people of faith, we are called to “seek the welfare” of the community we are in--no matter how much we embrace or are embraced by that community--for our own well-being is intertwined with theirs (Jer. 29:7).
In a democracy, one of the simplest, most tangible ways to advocate for the health of society is to vote. But Asian Americans have historically not been politically engaged. In 2016, only 49 percent of eligible Asian American voters turned out. Some of the biggest obstacles to Asian Americans’ voting are lack of outreach, lack of culturally competent resources, and voter registration barriers.
At Reclaim and AACC, we want to see more people in the AAPI community raising their voices, influencing policy, and holding our leaders accountable. This year, you can do that by becoming an informed voter, and voting with loving discernment. You can also make sure you are counted in the nationwide 2020 census.
We’ve compiled a list of nonpartisan resources to provide you with the information to be an active, educated voter. We do not want to tell you how to vote or whom to vote for; we simply ask that you participate in seeking the welfare of the United States and your local communities intentionally and prayerfully.
How to Vote
You are eligible to vote if you are a US citizen, meet your state’s residency requirements, and will be age 18 or over on or before election day.
If you are eligible but have not yet registered to vote, you can register here. For most states, the deadline to register to vote for the November election is in early October.
If you are unsure if you are registered to vote, you can check your voter registration status here.
How to Participate in the 2020 Census
The US census is open to all individuals residing in the country on April 1, 2020, regardless of citizenship, immigration status, or legal status. The once-in-a-decade census determines the allocation of congressional representation and federal funding for essential public services.
If you haven’t yet completed a questionnaire for your household, you can complete one online before September 30, 2020. The questionnaire is available in thirteen languages, including English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese.
Nonpartisan Voter Information
Ballotpedia is a digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. Our goal is to inform people about politics by providing accurate and objective information about politics at all levels of government.
The Campus Election Engagement Project is a national nonpartisan project that helps administrators, faculty, staff, and student leaders at America’s colleges and universities engage students in federal, state, and local elections. CEEP views voting as a means to promote a more equitable and inclusive democracy and to address past and present disenfranchisement.
Electionary is a free, comprehensive guide to state voting rights and election administration laws.
FactCheck is a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. They monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Their goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.
The League of Women Voters encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The League of Women Voters Education Fund works to register voters, provide voters with election information through voter guides as well as candidate forums and debates.
My Faith Votes is a nonpartisan movement that motivates, equips, and activates Christians in America to vote in every election, transforming our communities and influencing our nation with biblical truth.
PolitiFact is rooted in fact-checking journalism. Their core principles are independence, transparency, fairness, thorough reporting, and clear writing. They exist to give citizens the information they need to govern themselves in a democracy.
Teaching for Democracy Alliance was formed as a collective voice to encourage democratic learning and to equip K-12 teachers and administrators to bring practical democracy lessons to their students.
The US Election Assistance Commission provides voter resources on the entire process of voting, from registering to vote to submitting your ballot. Information is provided in multiple languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
Do you know of other well-reputed, nonpartisan resources that we missed? Please send them to submissions@aachristcollab.com and we will add them to the list.