By Julia Tong, AsAmNews Staff Writer
The 2022 midterm Senate election in Georgia was notoriously close: the margin between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker was a mere 37,675 votes, pushing the election into a runoff.
Notably, Asian Americans in the state cast over 110,000 ballots during the election. Beyond that, they turned out in greater numbers than in previous years during the runoff.
“This clearly illustrates just how critical of a part of the margin of victory the AAPI community is now playing in elections all around the country,” says Raymond Partolan, a National Field Director with APIAVote. “We not only see this in Georgia, but we see it in other states as well.”
According to Partolan, analysis of available early voting on the 2022 midterm elections shows that the AAPI community increased their early voter turnout nationally by 20.4%, representing an increase of over 330,000 votes. In battleground states, this number increases to 33.6%. These results signify the power of AAPIs, who are the fastest-growing demographic in the US, to swing those important elections.
In a Post-Election Debrief webinar hosted by APIAVote, four community organizers from local groups in battleground states discussed their efforts to mobilize AAPI voters. Using tactics ranging from phone and text banking to translating materials to fun in-person events, they engaged their communities to become the margin of victory in contentious elections.
Beyond winning elections, voting is especially important for AAPIs to make their voices heard. Per Debbie Chen, the Civic Engagement Director at OCA Greater Houston, organizing efforts are critical to ensuring that the needs of the community are addressed by policymakers.
“Right now, the reality is that candidates from both parties pretty much ignore the AAPI community, we’re not really taken that seriously, policymakers don’t consistently actually take our community seriously or have us in mind,” Chen says. “Us promoting everyone to go vote and being an educated voter can change that narrative.”
Read the full story at AsAm News
