On November 4th, I served as the site supervisor at Lakelands Park Middle School in Gaithersburg, MD to conduct an Asian American Voter Survey and monitor and report any voter incidents. Our experience was amazing in that most of the Asian American voters we approached were more than happy to fill out our survey and even more enthusiastic once we told them what it was for. It was on this day that I realized the importance of collecting this data and getting a sense of the needs, challenges, and priorities of our community.

There is one incident that sticks out in my mind from that day. There was a woman who I saw vote earlier in the day come back to our polling site in the afternoon with a camera. She asked us to take her picture near the "Vote Here" sign, near our "Asian American Voter Sign", and even a picture with us! Her emotion and excitement were visible as she told us how she wanted to document this historic day for her children. As the day unfolded, we saw voters turn out in record numbers and in a very real way, it struck me how important this day was. People came out to vote despite the long lines, cold weather, and rain. They brought their kids, their parents, their pets, their cameras, and their excitement. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to witness such an occasion.

Check back on the SAALT website for updated information about the voting trends of the South Asian community!