Press Release
3/27 Media Advisory: AALDEF to Release Findings on 2012 Korean American Vote and Voting Barriers
March 25, 2013 — On Wednesday, March 27, in Annandale, VA, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) will release detailed findings from its exit poll of 998 Korean American voters in the November 2012 Presidential Elections, the largest survey of its kind in the nation. The results will be released at a special presentation with the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC) at Yejin Korean Community Service Center in Annandale, VA at 6pm.
AALDEF, a 39-year old New York-based national organization, polled Asian American voters in 37 cities across 14 states on Election Day: New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Michigan, Illinois, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Nevada, California, and Washington, D.C. Korean American voters were one of the largest ethnic groups polled, comprising 11% of the surveys. AALDEF’s exit poll reveals vital information about Korean American voting patterns that is often overlooked in mainstream voter surveys.
AALDEF also monitored poll sites for barriers to the Korean American vote. One extreme incident occurred in Annandale, VA, where poll workers separated all Korean American voters into segregated lines because “there were so many,” allowing white voters to vote first. Elderly Korean American voters with limited English-proficiency were particularly uncomfortable with the discriminatory treatment.
AALDEF Democracy Program Director Glenn Magpantay will present comparative information on the following topics covered in the 2012 exit poll, including:
- Vote for President and Congress
- Party enrollment and voting history
- Concerns about key issues such as comprehensive immigration reform
- Ethnicity and national origin
- English proficiency levels
- Citizenship tenure (duration)
- First-time voters
- Voting barriers
EVENT: AALDEF Releases Detailed Findings on the Korean American Vote in the 2012 Presidential Elections
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, Mar. 27, 2013 at 6pm.
PLACE: Yejin Korean Community Service Center, 7310 Maple Place, Suite # 100A, Annandale, VA 22003
RSVP: Please send name, affiliation, and contact information to Ujala Sehgal, usehgal@aaldef.org or call 212.966.5932 x217.
The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, is a national organization that protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans. By combining litigation, advocacy, education, and organizing, AALDEF works with Asian American communities across the country to secure human rights for all.
AALDEF’s multilingual exit polls reveal vital information about Asian American voting patterns that is often overlooked in mainstream voter surveys. AALDEF has conducted exit polls of Asian American voters in every major election since 1988. In 2012, more than 100 community groups and organizations joined AALDEF to mobilize over 800 attorneys, law students, and volunteers to conduct the exit poll and to safeguard the voting rights of Asian Americans.
Contact: Ujala Sehgal, 212.966.5932 x217 or usehgal@aaldef.org