by Aditya Khanna

Asian-Americans are currently the fastest growing eligible voting ethnic group in the United States. Nearly 6 in 10 South Asians are eligible to vote and Massachusetts holds a large portion of them. Whether it’s a local, state, or national election, voter turnout is extremely important; turnout is essentially how many eligible voters actually cast their ballot and often times, elections are decided by this factor. In Massachusetts 51% of South Asians are eligible to vote, but only around half of them actually cast their ballot.

If you are unsure if you’re registered, eligible, or need to update any information in order to vote, you can visit this website: www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr. For the upcoming elections, Massachusetts is offering a Mail in Vote option where you’ll receive a pre-stamped ballot at your home address, fill out your vote, and send it back. In order to request this ballot, you can visit this website: www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleev/early-voting-by-mail.htm 

Voter turnout is going to be a deciding factor in the upcoming November 3 election. Local precincts are still open and you can find yours at www.ma.gov. Before casting your vote, you should research the candidates and understand the platform they are running on. Our South Asian population can make a real difference in this and every future election. Always remember the 3 R’s: Register to vote, Read up on the candidates, and Receive your ballot.