Mayor de Blasio Expands Voter Registration Forms to Include Six New Languages, Ensuring Limited English Proficient New Yorkers to Easily Vote at the Polls in November

Voter registration forms expanded to include

 Albanian, Greek, Italian, Polish, Tagalog, Yiddish

Screenshot of a voter registration form in Tagalog

NEW YORK––As part of the Administration’s efforts to expand voting participation and access, Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced the launch of voter registration forms in six new languages: Albanian, Greek, Italian, Polish, Tagalog, and Yiddish. Now over 90 percent of Limited English Proficient New Yorkers have access to voter registration forms in the language they speak at home.

“New York is a city of immigrants. Now this November, the diverse communities that make New York City great will be empowered to make their voices heard,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “This announcement marks our ongoing commitment to ensure that every eligible New Yorker can go to the polls and participate in a hallmark of American democracy.”

The new forms will be available on the Campaign Finance Board website, which can also be found on NYC.gov under “Register to Vote.” Starting this month, the Campaign Finance Board will provide these voter registration forms to public libraries and elected officials’ offices so they are easily accessible.

“Over 200 languages are spoken in New York City, making it the most diverse city in America,” said Commissioner Nisha Agarwal of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. “Now when New Yorkers register to vote this fall, they will be able to register in the language that they speak. This is an effective way to cultivate civic participation.”

Starting in July 2016, voter registration forms were available in Russian, Urdu, Haitian Creole, French, and Arabic alongside voter registration forms already available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Bangla. To find these forms, visit www.nyccfb.info.

The City is also providing support to immigrants who want to become U.S. citizens through its NYCitizenship program, which Mayor de Blasio launched earlier this year. As part of NYCitizenship, New York City residents receive appointments with a trusted attorney for help with citizenship applications, information sessions about the citizenship process and its benefits, and free and confidential financial counseling. U.S. citizenship gives residents the right to travel with a U.S. passport, vote in elections, and access more job opportunities. To learn more, visit www.nyc.gov/citizenship.

Stephanie Chrispin.(photo:Lambert Parong)

"UniPro is excited to hear that the City’s Language Access Initiatives have expanded voter registration forms to include Tagalog. As one of the fastest growing API groups in NYC today, now is the time to activate the power of the Pilipino American electorate. This November, Pilipino community organizations and political clubs across the city are coming together to make sure our voices are heard, that we elect leaders who will listen to our issues and recognize our needs, and that we continue to keep those legislators accountable to their promises. MOIA's new forms in Tagalog are effectively breaking the language access barriers that have so often disenfranchised our community. We're proud that the Mayor's Office has taken the important step to include our voices in the democratic process. UniPro will make sure our voices are heard,” said Stephanie Chrispin, President of Pilipino America Unity for Progress (UniPro).