Monday, October 29, 2018

MAYOR DE BLASIO, COUNCIL SPEAKER JOHNSON, COUNCIL MEMBER TREYGER AND CITY COUNCIL EXPAND INTERPRETATION SERVICES FOR ELECTION DAY 2018


New Yorkers will have access to City interpreters at approximately 100 poll sites in Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island, assisting voters who speak Russian, Haitian Creole, Italian, Arabic, Polish or Yiddish

  Mayor Bill de Blasio, Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Council Member Mark Treyger and the City Council today announced additional efforts to make voting easier for limited English proficient voters. Building upon the 2017 poll site interpretation pilot, the Administration will provide interpretation services at approximately 100 poll sites throughout Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island this Election Day, November 6, 2018.

Currently, the Board of Elections provides interpretation services in certain poll sites in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and Bangla, as required by the Voting Rights Act. The Administration will be filling a gap across communities by providing interpretation services in the additional six most commonly spoken languages among limited English proficient eligible voters at poll sites with the greatest concentrations of these individuals. These languages are Russian, Haitian Creole, Italian, Arabic, Polish and Yiddish.

Using Census data and to ensure nonpartisanship, the City took a scientific and statistical approach when identifying poll sites in election districts with the highest needs for these services. Led by the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, this project complements efforts by the BOE to lower language barriers to voting.

“The language you speak and understand should not be a barrier to civic participation,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Voting should be an easy task, and we’re upholding that truth by identifying and filling gaps in communities where translation services are needed. Whether it’s Haitian Creole, Russian or Arabic, we’re making sure that you’ll be able to participate in our democracy no matter what language you speak.”

“We want all New Yorkers to be a part of our democracy, which is why the Council along with the de Blasio Administration is increasing access to language interpreters at polling sites. Close to 40 percent of New York residents are foreign-born, so we know there is a need for these kinds of services. I encourage all eligible New Yorkers to get out and vote this Election Day,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

“Our diversity is what makes New York City so unique and special,” said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives J. Phillip Thompson. “This investment in interpretation services will help ensure that the language you speak is not a factor in casting your ballot, and that our diversity is reflected in our elections and government.”

“No New Yorker should be prevented from exercising her constitutional right to vote because she cannot speak English,” said Bitta Mostofi, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs. “By placing interpreters at select poll sites in languages beyond the minimum required by law, we are taking a momentous step towards full and true access to the polls for all voters, no matter how they say ‘I voted.’”

“Participating in elections is a fundamental right that we will continue protect, regardless of the language you speak,” said Chief Democracy Officer Ayirini Fonseca-Sabune. “I applaud Mayor de Blasio and the City Council for making interpretation services a priority and removing a critical barrier to voting so all New Yorkers can make their voice heard on November 6th.”

“Voting should be easy and accessible. We need to address our city’s low voter turnout and make our democracy more inclusive, particularly in communities where systemic barriers exist. I’m proud to have advocated for and secured funds for a pilot program to provide interpreters for Russian and Haitian Creole speakers at 20 poll sites in Brooklyn last year, and prouder still of working with Speaker Johnson and Mayor de Blasio to expand the program this year to include more languages, activating and empowering civic engagement amongst more New Yorkers,” said Council Member Mark Treyger.

This year, more New Yorkers from a diverse set of backgrounds will have additional tools to exercise their right to vote. The de Blasio Administration has invested $640,000 to provide interpretation services at approximately 100 poll sites identified as having the highest need for these services in Russian, Haitian Creole, Italian, Arabic, Polish and Yiddish. This investment includes the hiring of personnel through Langlo Inc., a City-certified M/WBE language services vendor. MOIA partnered with Common Cause New York to provide training and is also assisting with additional supervision.

As part of this nonpartisan effort to limit barriers to voting, MOIA and the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit partnered to analyze detailed census data. This data helped identify the top 15 languages spoken by limited English proficient New Yorkers: Russian, Haitian Creole, Italian, Polish, Arabic, Yiddish, Greek, Albanian, Tagalog, Urdu and French, in addition to the languages covered by the Voting Rights Act.

MOIA and CAU further analyzed this census data to identify the percentage of people within these populations who are 18 years or older and eligible to vote to determine where the highest need for interpretation services at poll sites exist. MOIA then selected approximately the top 100 poll sites among the top six languages, based on the availability of resources for this project.

These services will be available entirely at a voter’s voluntary discretion. Staff will be provided with a four-hour training that mirrors the BOE’s own training, including non-electioneering protocols, providing interpretation services, maintaining voter privacy, the voting process and New York City’s Election Day operations. Poll site project staff will operate at a minimum of 101 feet outside of a poll site, per BOE’s specifications, and will accompany voters into poll sites upon request. Staff will identify themselves by wearing pins with “interpreter” listed in English and the additional language they speak.

City interpreters will be available from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM on Election Day. In the lead up to Election Day, MOIA staff will educate communities about these services.

Last year’s pilot program has outlined the City’s work for Election Day 2018. In 2017, the poll site interpretation pilot provided interpretation services in Russian and Haitian Creole at 20 poll sites in Brooklyn.
  
“Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy and giving people the opportunity to participate in the language they are most comfortable with makes for a more informed and inclusive electorate,” said Congressman Joe Crowley. "This project will help voters who need assistance in a language other than English and will help elections officials better serve our diverse communities. I applaud the Office of Immigrant Affairs for this initiative which will help expand voter access across the city.”

2018 Poll Site Interpretation Services

Staten Island: 1 site

Poll Site NamePoll Site AddressLanguage(s)
PS 39 Francis J. Murphy Jr.71 Sand LaneРУССКИЙ - Russian

Queens: 14 sites

Poll Site NamePoll Site AddressLanguage(s)
JHS 157-Stephen A Halsey63-55 102 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 175-Lynn Gross Discovery School64-35 102 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 206-Horace Harding School61-02 98 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 139-Rego Park93-06 63 DriveРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 220-Edward Mandel62-10 108 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 99-Kew Gardens82-37 Kew Gardens RoadРУССКИЙ - Russian
Evelyn & Lou Grn Res19-15 Seagirt BlvdРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 154-Queens75-02 162 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 165-Edith K. Bergtraum70-35 150 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 117-J.Keld / Briarwood School85-15 143 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
JHS 217-Robert A. Van Wyck85-05 144 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
Forest Hills HS67-01 110 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 34-John Harvard104-12 Springfield BoulevardKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
PS 207-Rockwood Park159-15 88 StreetITALIANO - Italian

Brooklyn: 86 Sites

Poll Site NamePoll Site AddressLanguage(s)
Shorefront YM-YWHA3300 Coney Island AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 231875 East 17 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 522675 East 29 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 1282075 84 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 2062200 Gravesend Neck RoadРУССКИЙ - Russian
Bay Academy-IS 981401 Emmons AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 2266006 23 AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 2092609 East 7 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
Trump Village Bldg 7A2942 West 5 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
Marlboro Memorial Post300 Avenue XРУССКИЙ - Russian
IS 9699 Avenue PРУССКИЙ - Russian
St. Marks School2602 East 19th StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
Seacoast Towers1311 Brightwater AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 68250 Avenue PРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 902840 West 12 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 2541801 Avenue YРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 216350 Avenue XРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 1531970 Homecrest AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
العربية - Arabic
PS 1971599 East 22 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 62 JHS700 Cortelyou RoadРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 991120 East 10 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
William E. Grady CTE High School25 Brighton 4 RoadРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 2381633 East 8 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
Ed R Murrow HS1600 Avenue LРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 177346 Avenue PРУССКИЙ - Russian
Agudath Sr Ctr817 Avenue HРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 3461400 Pennsylvania AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 1883314 Neptune AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 2862525 Haring StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
Trump Village Bldg 3A444 Neptune AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
St. Brendan Senior Apartments L.P.1215 Avenue OРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 195131 Irwin StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
Kings Highway Public Library2115 Ocean AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
JASA Comm Ctr161 Corbin PlaceРУССКИЙ - Russian
Vandalia Ctr47 Vandalia AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 2171100 Newkirk AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
East Midwood Jewish Center1625 Ocean AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
James Madison HS3787 Bedford AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
Merkaz Community Center1739 Ocean AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 3292929 West 30 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
Marien Heim Community Center870 Ocean ParkwayРУССКИЙ - Russian
Haber House3024 West 24 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 179202 Avenue CРУССКИЙ - Russian
IS 142424 Batchelder StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
Sephardic Comm Ctr1901 Ocean ParkwayРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 1867601 19 AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
Kings Bay YM-YWHA3495 Nostrand AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 971855 Stillwell AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
O'Dwyer Community Center2945 West 33 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
Brightwater's Comm Room501 Surf AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
IS 228228 Avenue SРУССКИЙ - Russian
Regina Pacis Housing2424 Cropsey AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
Flatbush Park Jewish Center6363 Avenue UРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 95345 Van Sicklen StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
Youth Center2739 Harway AvenueРУССКИЙ - Russian
PS 1943117 Avenue WРУССКИЙ - Russian
Harway Terrace2475 West 16 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
New Utrecht HS1601 80 StreetРУССКИЙ - Russian
Roosevelt Hall2946 Bedford AvenueKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
PS 2691957 Nostrand AvenueKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
PS 152/PS 315725 East 23 StreetKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
PS 68 JHS956 East 82 StreetKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
Canarsie HS1600 Rockaway ParkwayKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
PS 2761070 East 83 StreetKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
PS 24918 Marlborough RoadKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
F.Bennett American Leg. Post5601 Avenue NKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
PS 2511037 East 54 StreetKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
PS 1151500 East 92 StreetKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
The Joan Snow Pre-K Center3610 Glenwood RoadKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
Flatbush YMCA1401 Flatbush AvenueKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
PS 2035101 Avenue MKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
IS 395/PS 1091001 East 45 StreetKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
PS 1141077 Remsen AvenueKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
IS 24672 Veronica PlaceKREYÒL AYISYEN - Haitian Creole
IS 71 -Juan Morel Campos215 Heyward Streetאידיש - Yiddish
Independence Towers Senior Center114 Taylor Streetאידיש - Yiddish
PS/IS 1805601 16 Avenueאידיש - Yiddish
Boro Park YM-YWHA4912 14 Avenueאידיש - Yiddish
PS 223 IS4200 16th Avenueאידיש - Yiddish
PS 1314305 Ft Hamilton Parkwayאידיש - Yiddish
PS 1924715 18 Avenueאידיש - Yiddish
McGuiness Sr Ctr715 Leonard StreetPOLSKI - Polish
POLSKI - Polish Slavic Culture Center177 Kent StreetPOLSKI - Polish
JHS 126424 Leonard StreetPOLSKI - Polish
St. Cecilia24 North Henry StreetPOLSKI - Polish
PS 227 JHS6500 16 AvenueITALIANO - Italian

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