Which Is The Only Indian Language On New York’s Ballot Papers For US Presidential Polls 2024?

New York: New York is celebrated as a “melting pot,” with over 200 languages spoken across the city, according to the Department of City Planning. Yet, for the upcoming US presidential election, alongside English, only four additional languages appear on ballot papers with Bengali standing out as the sole Indian language among them.

On Tuesday, the United States will vote to elect its 47th President.

“We are required to service four other languages besides English. These are Chinese, Spanish, Korean, and Bengali,” said Micheal J. Ryan, Executive Director of New York City’s Board of Elections.

Subhshesh, a sales agent in Times Square with Bengali heritage, feels happy as his father, who lives in Queens, will benefit from the linguistic support when casting his vote. “People like me know English, but many in our community prefer their native language. This will make things easier at the polling station,” says Subhshesh.

According to PTI, the presence of Bengali on New York’s ballots is not merely symbolic but a legal obligation. Under city regulations, Bengali voting materials are provided at certain polling sites in order to ensure that the Bengali-speaking citizens have full access to crucial information and voting options.

Ryan explained the context of this decision, which resulted from a lawsuit focused on language access. “The settlement required that an Asian Indian language be available where population density is high, and Bengali was chosen after negotiations,” he noted. The choice, he acknowledged, has limitations but came from a mandate aimed at increasing accessibility.

The first appearance of Bengali-language ballots in Queens was in 2013, nearly two years after a federal order, under the 1965 Voting Rights Act, mandated language assistance for South Asian minority groups.

The Bengali-speaking population in New York includes people from Asian countries like India and Bangladesh. While it doesn’t cover the full range of languages in the region, the addition of Bengali is expected to encourage voter turnout within this community, PTI reports.

Dr. Avinash Gupta, President of the Federation of Indian Associations, emphasized the importance of the initiative. “This helps the Indian community to go out and vote. That’s how our voices are heard. Indians are a sizable population here, and it’s heartening to see so many participate in the electoral process,” said Dr. Gupta.