Black or white, Native or newcomer, Asian or Latino, Ohioans are worthy of having a say in the decisions that impact our lives. That’s why we see Ohio voters showing up in record numbers this November 5th election, despite continuing hurdles to cast our vote.
Earlier this year, the Ohio Secretary of State sent a letter to Jona Hilario, a legal U.S. voter and OPAWL - Building AAPI Feminist Leadership Co-Director, incorrectly indicating that she is not a U.S. citizen and warning that she could face a potential felony charge if she voted.
The Secretary of State letters targeted Hilario, a Filipina American, and other Ohio residents because of their identity as naturalized citizens–a community grappling with some of the harshest vitriol, misinformation, and racialized attacks from a cadre of political candidates seeking to divide voters across races, places, and backgrounds this election season.
Last week, Ohio officials resorted to more doubt-casting and distractions when Attorney General Dave Yost issued criminal indictments alleging improper voting in past elections, including, extraordinarily, one indicted South Asian individual who passed away two years ago. The indictments have been roundly criticized and questioned as an abuse of power; and yet, Ohio electeds continue to fan flames of disruption, with Secretary of State Frank LaRose suing the Department of Homeland Security to obtain voter citizenship information from federal databases mere days before the election.
"Instead of building trust and confidence in our democracy, certain elected officials are trying to preemptively sow doubts about the election so they can manipulate its results," said Jona Hilario. "As a multiracial majority, which includes immigrants, we refuse to be intimidated and we are reaching out to our neighbors to make sure they are ready to cast their vote."
As civil and legal rights advocates serving Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities in Ohio and across the country, OPAWL, and the Asian Law Caucus join Jona in denouncing government actions that seek to break down trust in our elections and deter the power of our voices.
Public servants have a duty to protect our vote – not to silence or manipulate it. Breaking from this responsibility, election officials like Attorney General Yost and Secretary of State LaRose are increasing the very real dangers of voter suppression, as communities of color in Ohio and nationwide endure increasingly hostile and xenophobic messaging and policies. These anti-immigrant narratives draw from centuries-old tropes of Black, Asian, Latino, and historically oppressed groups cast as “perpetual foreigners” not worthy of civil rights because of the color of their skin, how long they have lived in America, or which language is spoken at home.
"Instead of ensuring the right to vote and helping registered voters overcome barriers to voting, Yost and LaRose are making it harder, scarier, and less accessible for our communities,” said Kimberly Leung, Asian Law Caucus Staff Attorney.
Our response to these tactics is clear: We’re not falling for it.
We believe that all Ohio voters – regardless of race, ethnicity, or pathway to citizenship taken – should have the freedom to have an equal say in the decisions that impact their lives. This includes over 60,000 Ohio citizens naturalized between the 2016 and 2020 elections.
It also includes Asian Americans, who continue to lag behind in registration and voting rates while certain election officials continue to add extra administrative steps for voters to maintain their right to vote. These extra and repeated requirements to prove identification and citizenship are an additional challenge for voters who speak a language other than English, resulting in Asian American eligible voters still having some of the lowest registration rates by race and ethnicity.
At this critical moment, Yost, LaRose, and Ohio officials should heed our community’s calls to action and do everything in their power to ensure, not block, the right to vote. This includes honoring language access in jurisdictions where bilingual poll workers, translated ballots, and other supports are required by law. Through the Voting Rights Act, people can now vote with their first language in more places than ever, including Ohio's Cuyahoga County, which guarantees language access protections like translated ballots and bilingual poll workers for Spanish-speakers.
In an election marred by hate directed at immigrant, refugee, and naturalized communities, Ohio can change its course today. It’s time to stand proudly on the right side of history, guided by election officials doing their jobs, not piecemeal political bidding.
On November 5, our communities will show that, time and time again, fear mongering won't turn us away from the polls, or from delivering an Ohio where we protect our freedoms, families, and futures. Visit www.vote.org to check your registration status, find your polling site, and make your plan to vote today.