Early voting ahead of the Nov. 3 general election began Saturday, Oct. 24, in New York City. Voters with limited English don’t have to stay home: At select polling sites, the city is providing free interpreters, including Polish speakers.
The language assistance is organized by the NYC Civic Engagement Commission under its Voter Language Assistance program. Polish interpreters will be available at select sites on the last weekend of early voting – Saturday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 1 – and on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. The list of sites with an interpreter is available on the Commission’s website (see the “Early Voting Services Map” and “Election Day Services Map”).
Keep in mind that your early voting site may be different from your Election Day site. The easiest way to look up your address is at findmypollsite.vote.nyc.
You can bring your own helper
Any voter who has difficulty reading or writing in English has the right to bring someone to the polling site to help them cast a ballot. As the New York State Attorney General’s Office notes, this can be a family member or friend – even a minor or someone who is not a U.S. citizen. The only people who cannot serve as a helper are the voter’s employer or a representative of the voter’s union. Voters can also ask poll workers at the site for help.
Key dates
- Oct. 24 – Nov. 1: Early voting
- Nov. 2: Last day to request a ballot in person at the elections commission’s office
- Nov. 3: Election Day, and the last day to mail a ballot or drop it off at a polling site
Voters can check their registration status at vote.nyc or by calling 1-866-868-3692.
What’s on the ballot
New Yorkers will choose, among others, a governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general, state comptroller, members of the House of Representatives, the state Senate and the Assembly, as well as some judges. The ballot will also include five city proposals to amend the City Charter – among them measures on faster permitting for outdoor dining, building permits and the city’s reserve fund. Polish-language descriptions of the proposals are posted on the Commission’s website. The Commission has also prepared a “Know Your Rights” flyer in Polish.
Sources: NYC Civic Engagement Commission, New York State Attorney General’s Office
Source: Nowy Dziennik
