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Group to monitor Mass. Asian-American voter access
Associated Press – A national Asian American advocacy group is planning to monitor polling locations in Boston and Quincy to ensure equal ballot access.
The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund said it will send attorneys, law students, and community volunteers to document any voting barriers faced by Asian American voters in Tuesday’s municipal elections.
The group wants make sure Asian language ballots, interpreters, and voting materials are available. The group also wants to monitor voter identification requirements and whether provisional ballots are offered to individuals whose names don’t appear on voter lists.
In 2006, federal observers monitored polling places in Boston and Springfield to ensure that the rights of Hispanic, Chinese, Vietnamese and other immigrant voters were protected.
Both cities had been sued by the Justice Department for alleged polling place violations. The sides settled before trial.