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Bias seen at polls

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"We found in the last election there were improper demands for identification," said Glenn Magpantay, staff attorney of the Asian-American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

"Poll workers were hostile towards Asian voters or would not allow Asian voters to get assistance," he added.

Instances of discrimination are increasing, Magpantay said, as Asian-Americans - often first-time voters with limited English-speaking ability - turn out in greater numbers on Election Day.

The group's staff conducted exit polls at 35 voting sites, including locations in Flushing, Elmhurst, Floral Park and Richmond Hill in Queens; Sunset Park and Homec rest in Brooklyn, and Chinatown in Manhattan.

They talked to voters during the primaries on Sept. 25, the runoffs on Oct. 11 and the general elections on Nov. 6.

The tiny print
The group learned that Chinese-language ballots used were in tiny print that was impossible for many voters to read.

The report also alleges that poll workers improperly asked for identification and evidence of citizenship from Asian-American voters, and blocked interpreters from assisting the non-English-speakers.

"One lady physically yanked me out of the booth because she didn't want me to help a voter," said Mindy Kim, 28, a Korean-language interpreter at the Flushing and Jackson Heights voting sites.

Poll workers accused Kim of coaching people to vote for a particular party, she said.

Kim also said Asian-Americans who showed up to vote often were told they weren't eligible.

"Voters would come to me and say, 'They couldn't find my name, so they turned me away,'" she said.

In many cases, the voters actually had been registered, Kim said, and if a voter hadn't registered, poll workers failed to offer affidavit ballots, as election law requires.

"While we recognize that it is a problem, we have taken many steps to ensure that this is corrected," said Naomi Bernstein, director of communications for the Board of Elections.

According to Bernstein, all election workers must attend a training class and pass a test at the end of that course. That training, in addition to a newsletter they get in the mail, is supposed to make poll workers more culturally sensitive.

"Out of the 30,000 Election Day workers, there are bound to be some who don't pay attention," Bernstein said.

Further, she said, if a worker is identified as being biased, that person "will not work again."

Another problem election officials face that has nothing to do with prejudiced poll workers is the limited amount of space on a voting ballot.

Korean will be added
In July, the federal government announced that, under the Voting Rights Act, ballots and voter registration forms in Queens already loaded with English, Spanish and Chinese now also must include Korean.

For City Councilman John Liu, that move signals progress has been made - though more is needed, he said.

"I think the city of New York, which is the capital of the world, should be doing more than the bare minimum required under federal law," Liu said.

"And that means providing people with the ability to vote - even if their English is not great."