"I am Asian American and I vote!"

From some participants at our November 1 rally. I am voting on November 4, 2008 because...

"...I want the voice of Asian Americans to be heard and our issue will be taken care of."

"...This is a historic election and moving forward, I can foresee that Asian American President of the United States of America."

"...I want to participate in the process and make a difference."

"...It is my right. I want to vote for the candidate that will make America safe."

"...I think our country is going in the wrong direction and we really do need a change!"

"...I want to have a voice in deciding who will run our country. Many people have died or suffered for us to have this right. Many other countries don't have this freedom."

"...If I don't vote, I don't have a say in how the economy and government impacts my life and the lives of my family members."

"...I want to help make a better difference in America, which is so necessary during a time like this."

"...I care a great deal about the economic health and the geopolitical standing of this republic in the global order."

"...It matters who we elect!"

"...I am a citizen who wants to be a responsible citizen."

"...I want my voice to be heard on issues that affect my community."


Thanks everyone for voting in this historic election!

Vote on November 4, 2008!
The Asian American Vote = Our Voice Counts!

Voting represents an opportunity to voice your opinion on issues that affect your family, friends and community. Will you be voting on Tuesday, November 4? This is a historic election, and Asian Americans can and should be a part of this history. Please be sure to get out and vote! Our vote is our voice! Polls are open from 7am-8pm. If you are unsure of your polling location or would like information about how to vote absentee, go to www.michigan.gov/vote.

** YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE! **

If you have any problems on Election Day, call the Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund at 800-966-5946 or call 866-OUR-VOTE. You have the right to ask for assistance from a pollworker. You have the right to bring someone of your choice into the voting booth to assist you with voting (except employer or union official). Election workers will ask voters to show a photo ID as part of the usual ballot application process at the polls. If you do not have identification, you can still vote! You just need to sign an affidavit at your polling location saying you do not have identification in your possession.

Questions? Email michigan@apiavote.org or michiganfellow@apiavote.org.

33 days until the election! Three ways you can help...

Well, there are just thirty-three days until November 4, Election Day!

Want to help out? There are three major activities that APIAVote-Michigan really needs your help with:

1. Voter registration! Michigan's voter registration deadline is Monday, October 6! Register to vote by clicking the "register to vote" icon in the upper right hand corner of the page. Also, check out some opportunities to help register people to vote.

2. Get Out The Vote (GOTV) phone banks! APIAVote needs your help in Wayne/Washtenaw, Oakland, and Macomb Counties, to call Asian American voters to remind them to vote on November 4! Our first big phonebank will take place on Saturday, October 11, 1:30 - 4:30 pm, Philippine American Community Center of Michigan, 17356 Northland Park Ct, Southfield. Come have pie, cider, and doughnuts!! Sign up to help out and check out the other volunteer opportunities here.

3. Election Day volunteering! Help to defend Asian & Arab American voting rights, by volunteering for three hours on Election Day, November 4, for the exit polling/election protection project we are working on with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. Sign up to help out!

Hope to see you soon! :-)

Defending Asian & Arab American voting rights -- Election Day volunteers needed!

Asian and Arab American Election Protection and Poll Monitoring
Defending Asian American Voting Rights

************************************

Trainings
Wednesday, October 22, 12 Noon – Dickinson Wright PLLC, 500 Woodward Ave., Detroit
Wednesday, October 22, 3:00 PM – Dickinson Wright PLLC, 38525 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills
Wednesday, October 22, 6:00 PM – University of Michigan, Michigan Union, 530 S. State Street., Ann Arbor
Saturday, November 1, 4:00 PM - Philippine American Community Center of MI, 17356 Northland Park Ct., Southfield

In past elections, Asian and Arab Americans have faced a series of barriers in exercising their right to vote. In addition, candidates and the news media have often overlooked the Asian American vote. In response, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund has monitored the elections for compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act, which mandates bilingual ballots and forbids anti-Asian voter discrimination, and conducted a non-partisan multilingual survey of voters to document Asian and Arab American voting patterns.

In 2004, 1,200 volunteers polled almost 11,000 Asian and Arab American voters in eight states. Volunteers are needed to administer a multilingual voter survey in 3-hour shifts and document voting problems on Election Day. Polls are open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

There will be a one-hour training session for all volunteers in various locations. (90-minutes with CLE credits). All volunteers must be non-partisan during the time they help. To sign up and for a training schedule, go to www.aaldef.net or complete the volunteer form attached or/and pasted below, and send it to apia.right2vote@gmail.com or Gurtej Singh, c/o Navtej Singh, Affinity Solutions, LLC, P.O. Box 380832, Clinton Township, MI 48038. Thank you!

VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP FORM

NAME: _____________________________________________________
ADDRESS: __________________________________________________
CITY: __________________________ STATE: ________ ZIP: _______
EMAIL: ______________________________________________________
PHONE: daytime ____________________ evening __________________
ORG./CO./SCHL./ASS'N: _______________________________________
ARE YOU?
___ Undergraduate student ___ Graduate student ___ Law student
___ Attorney ___ High school student ___ Community volunteer

WHERE DO YOU MOST PREFER TO BE STATIONED? (rank if multiple): ___No preference
___Detroit ___Hamtramck ___Ann Arbor ___Dearborn
___Canton ___Troy ___Novi ___No preference/Wherever most needed.

DO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A CAR TO DRIVE TO YOUR SITE? []Yes []No
Some sites are not accessible by public transportation.

ON TUESDAY, NOV. 4, WHEN ARE YOU AVAILABLE TO VOLUNTEER? (rank 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.)
___6:00 - 9:00 am ___9:00 am – 12 N ___12 N - 3:00 pm ___Not yet sure.
___ 3:00 - 6:00 pm ___6:00 – 9:00 pm ___Other_________ ___Willing to do multiple shifts.

ARE YOU BILINGUAL IN ANY ASIAN LANGUAGE/DIALECT? (check all that apply)
Language ability is not required to volunteer but can be very helpful.
___Cantonese ___ Mandarin ___Korean ___Tagalog ___Japanese
___Hindi ___ Gujarati ___Punjabi ___Bengali ___Urdu
___Vietnamese ___Khmer ___Malayalam ___Arabic ___Hmong
___None ___Other_________

ARE YOU?
___ Past Volunteer: Year_____________
___ Partnering with another volunteer: Name _____________ (times must match).

You will be notified of trainings and other logistics upon receipt of this form.

RETURN THIS FORM TO:
AALDEF Election Protection Project- Michigan
Mail: Gurtej Singh, c/o Navtej Singh, Affinity Solutions, LLC, P.O. Box 380832, Clinton Township, MI 48038
Email: apia.right2vote@gmail.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Gurtej Singh, apia.right2vote@gmail.com, (586) 354-3575
Napapond Fay, michiganfellow@apiavote.org, (248) 895-4107

OR

Glenn D. Magpantay, Bryan Lee, or Julia Yang
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
99 Hudson Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10013
800-966-5946 /info@aaldef.org

Let's get the Asian American vote out in November!

APIAVote Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Phone Bank Schedule

Sign up today to volunteer, by contacting Napapond at 248-895-4107 or michiganfellow@apiavote.org.

Free food!! Training, call lists, and scripts will be provided. Phone banking is FUN, easy, and an amazing way to ensure that our community turns out to vote on Election Day and is informed about their rights! APIAVote-Michigan’s phone banks are non-partisan.

[Oakland] Saturday October 11: 2:00-4:30 pm [Meeting begins at 1:30pm, with apple cider, pie, and doughnuts!]
Philippine American Community Center of Michigan, 17356 Northland Park Court, Southfield, MI
*15 volunteers

[Macomb] Thursday October 16: 5:30-8:00 pm
Clinton Township MEA, 38550 Garfield, Suite B, Clinton Twp., MI 48038-3406
*10 volunteers

[Wayne/Washtenaw] Monday, October 20: 5:30- 8:00 pm
Plymouth MEA, 40500 Ann Arbor Road, Suite 100, Plymouth, MI 48170
*10 volunteers

[Oakland] Friday October 24: 5:30- 8:00 pm
Center for Progressive Leadership office, 104 W. Fourth Street, Ste. 306, Royal Oak, MI
*2 volunteers

[Oakland] Monday October 27: 5:30-8:00 pm
Center for Progressive Leadership office, 104 W. Fourth Street, Ste. 306, Royal Oak, MI
*2 volunteers

[Oakland] Wednesday October 29: 5:30-8:00 pm
Center for Progressive Leadership office, 104 W. Fourth Street, Ste. 306, Royal Oak, MI
*2 volunteers

[Wayne/Washtenaw] Monday November 3: 5:30-8:00 pm
Plymouth MEA, 40500 Ann Arbor Road, Suite 100, Plymouth, MI 48170
*10 volunteers

New APIAVote-Michigan blog!

Welcome to the new blog for APIAVote-Michigan!

This is where we will post announcements, events, volunteer opportunities, news, and more. We can also use the blog as a forum for discussion on various topics within the Asian American community in Michigan.

APIAVote-Michigan has many great activities planned in order to register, educate, and mobilize Asian Americans to vote in 2008!!

Please help sustain this important and groundbreaking work by contributing $20, $50, or a donation of any amount. Checks can be made out to "APIAVote" with "Michigan" in the memo line, and sent to: 5105 Trumbull St, #2-N, Detroit, MI 48208.

Have a wonderful day, everyone! :-)