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Personal essay: What I learned covering my first U.S. election
Immigrants, racial minorities, and ethnic groups in the U.S. deserve greater support on Election Day.
Tehsin Pala
November 12, 2024
An Asian American voter filling out the AALDEF exit poll survey. (Photo courtesy of Tehsin Pala)
As a recent immigrant from India, I can’t vote in the U.S. elections. But on Election Day, I had the opportunity to shadow Iris Zalun, a volunteer with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), as she surveyed voters for the nation’s largest exit poll on Asian Americans.
The nonpartisan, multilingual poll looks at voting trends and also captures information about language access and bias incidents. AALDEF deployed over 600 volunteers that day, surveying more than 5,500 voters across 12 states on Nov. 5. The survey was available in English and 10 Asian languages, including Arabic, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu. Fifteen percent of voters surveyed identified themselves as speaking English not well or not at all.
The poll found that Asian Americans faced language access barriers, with many poll sites failing to provide interpreters even where they were required. This pattern also appeared in 2020, when AALDEF found that several Middlesex and Bergen County poll sites were missing Gujarati and Korean signage as well as bilingual poll workers.
The exit surveys also offer a sense of how the Asian American community voted: In New Jersey, Kamala Harris led Donald Trump 50% to 43%, with voters saying they prioritized the economy, abortion rights, and democracy. Gaza was less of a focus for Asian voters in New Jersey, whereas it was a key issue for many in Michigan.
A voting site in Jersey City. (Photo Courtesy of Tehsin Pala)
I met Zalun outside Moose Lodge in Jersey City, where she lives. The site was in a residential neighborhood, close to an Indian store and pho shop. Most of the Asian voters who came by were Filipino, and Zalun’s shared background helped her connect with them.
“I've always been passionate about immigrant communities and making sure they have representation,” said Zalun.
I also met Shaira Cruz, advocacy and civic engagement associate at AAPI New Jersey, which was collaborating with AALDEF on the exit poll. Cruz was stationed at a table with a poster that read “Asian American exit poll” in 10 languages. As responses came in, Cruz entered the data in real-time into a Google form, sending updates back to the office.
Cruz, also Filipino American, engaged voters in Tagalog, which seemed to make some more willing to stop and answer the survey. Some showed curiosity about the survey, while others avoided eye contact.
Zalun Carrying AALDEF “vote” stickers. (Photo courtesy of Tehsin Pala)
Several Spanish speakers stopped at the booth to ask for directions or check their registration status. Surveyors tried to explain that registration was closed but suggested they request a provisional ballot.
This struggle with language access surprised me. In India, I saw voters select candidates by party symbols—like a flower or hand—making voting accessible to those who couldn’t read. Here, it seemed that voters had to make their own way through the process, even if they were first-time voters as many were in this election.
Outside the poll booth, I noticed an older Desi couple. Volunteers searched for a survey in Hindi or Urdu and tried calling for additional help, but I stepped in with a simple namaste, conversing with them in Hindi. The couple mentioned they were visiting from Nepal to see their daughter and were observing the voting process.
They wanted to know about the candidates, what the ballot looked like, if they could go inside, and what the survey was about. The aunty even slipped in a classic question about my marital status and encouraged me to marry soon, like a proper South Asian girl. It was amusing to be answering questions instead of asking them, and their curiosity was refreshing.
Seeing their faces light up while communicating in a known language reminded me of what’s truly at stake. While they weren’t there to vote, countless others were. Ensuring dignity and accessibility for all voters is essential.
Immigrants, racial minorities, and ethnic groups in the U.S. deserve greater support as they exercise their right to vote.
Tehsin Pala is the associate editor of Central Desi.
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