October 20, 2020 IN: Action Alerts, National, Resources & toolkits
Get ready to vote in the 2020 Election!
SEARAC joins our partners and other national advocacy organizations to encourage our communities to make a plan to vote in the November elections. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and we want Southeast Asian Americans to flex our political power! The results of the 2020 election will have implications on our communities for years to come, and your vote counts. Read on for some tips and tools to ensure that you can vote safely this year. And if you can’t vote? No problem! Sharing valuable information with members of your community who can is just as important.
Celebrate Vote Early Day, 10/24
This Saturday, Oct. 24th is Vote Early Day, but you don’t have to wait until then to celebrate! Celebrate Vote Early Day by casting your ballot, making sure you’re ready to vote, and reminding others to make their voices heard. Mail in or drop off your ballot, or cast your vote at an early voting site to make sure Southeast Asian American voices are represented in the general election.
This Saturday, Oct. 24th is Vote Early Day, but you don’t have to wait until then to celebrate! Celebrate Vote Early Day by casting your ballot, making sure you’re ready to vote, and reminding others to make their voices heard. Mail in or drop off your ballot, or cast your vote at an early voting site to make sure Southeast Asian American voices are represented in the general election.
You can share you voted with friends using #VoteEarly and #VoteReady and with SEARAC’s Vote Early Digital Toolkit to help build trust in our vote-by-mail systems, manage expectations for election results, and encourage community members to vote early.
In-language voting resources
Do you, your family members, or others in your community need election guidance in a language other than English? Check out this list of in-language voting resources from APIAVote.
Do you, your family members, or others in your community need election guidance in a language other than English? Check out this list of in-language voting resources from APIAVote.
If you have any questions or encounter any issues while voting, call 1-888-API-VOTE. Bilingual assistance is available in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi, and Bengali.
More information on the candidates
SEARAC is thrilled to launch our 2020 Presidential Election Voter Guide, now available with written and audio translations in: Hmong, Khmer, Lao, Mien, and Vietnamese. (Note: We are still finalizing the Lao formatted voter guide, but the audio version is currently available in Lao.) It is our hope that with these written and audio translations of our voter guide, you, your loved ones, and our communities feel empowered to make an informed vote on Election Day, or before if you are voting early.
SEARAC is thrilled to launch our 2020 Presidential Election Voter Guide, now available with written and audio translations in: Hmong, Khmer, Lao, Mien, and Vietnamese. (Note: We are still finalizing the Lao formatted voter guide, but the audio version is currently available in Lao.) It is our hope that with these written and audio translations of our voter guide, you, your loved ones, and our communities feel empowered to make an informed vote on Election Day, or before if you are voting early.
Tips for voting in person
Many voters may still elect to vote in-person on November 3rd. If you are voting on Election Day, remember to wear your mask over your mouth and nose for the entire time you are at your polling site. Utilize hand sanitizer, and avoid touching your mask or your face. Maintain a 6’ distance between you and others at the polling site.
Many voters may still elect to vote in-person on November 3rd. If you are voting on Election Day, remember to wear your mask over your mouth and nose for the entire time you are at your polling site. Utilize hand sanitizer, and avoid touching your mask or your face. Maintain a 6’ distance between you and others at the polling site.
The Fair Elections Center provides guidance about what ID documents you need to vote in your state, where your polling place is located, and important election dates.
What to expect on Election Day
Every eligible voter should have their voice heard and their vote counted. Because of early voting and voting by mail, it is going to take longer to count the votes and verify a winner in this year’s election — and that’s okay. Absentee ballots take longer to count because of security measures to verify the accuracy of those ballots. Some states can’t even start counting absentee ballots until after polls have closed on election night. Plus, due to the pandemic, election officials will be working with reduced staff. We need to be patient so election officials can take the time to make sure every eligible vote is counted accurately.
Every eligible voter should have their voice heard and their vote counted. Because of early voting and voting by mail, it is going to take longer to count the votes and verify a winner in this year’s election — and that’s okay. Absentee ballots take longer to count because of security measures to verify the accuracy of those ballots. Some states can’t even start counting absentee ballots until after polls have closed on election night. Plus, due to the pandemic, election officials will be working with reduced staff. We need to be patient so election officials can take the time to make sure every eligible vote is counted accurately.
