US Elections 2024: Do you know only THIS Indian language is included on New York's ballot papers?

New York City ballots will be available in Bengali, along with four other languages including English, for the upcoming US presidential election. This inclusion is a result of a lawsuit regarding language access for the South Asian community, particularly those from India and Bangladesh, and is now a legal requirement ensuring full linguistic assistance for Bengali speakers.

Gargi Chaudhry

First Published Nov 5, 2024, 9:50 AM IST | Last Updated Nov 5, 2024, 9:50 AM IST

The Department of City Planning claims that more than 200 languages are spoken in New York, supporting the idea that the city is America's melting pot. However, aside from English, there will only be four additional languages on the ballots for the US presidential election. And you know what? The Indian languages in this list are represented by Bengali. The United States will elect its 47th president on Tuesday

"In addition to English, we must provide services in four other languages. The Asian languages include Chinese, Spanish, Korean, and Bengali," according to Michael J. Ryan, Executive Director of the NYC Board of Elections. The inclusion of Bengali on ballot papers is not just a courtesy but a legal requirement.

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At some polling places, New York City is required by law to distribute voting materials in Bengali. This requirement covers more than simply ballots; it also covers all necessary voting materials, guaranteeing Bengali-speaking voters full linguistic assistance.

Ryan provides an explanation for the inclusion of Bengali in the list of languages that the Board of Elections supports. "There was a lawsuit about language access and, as you know, the country of India has a lot of different languages within it. The settlement of that lawsuit required a certain population density to have an Asian Indian language. Then, through some negotiations, they settled on Bengali. I understand the limitations of Bengali being the choice, but it came out of a lawsuit. "

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The first time the South Asian community in the Queen's locality of New York found ballots translated into Bengali was in 2013. The Bengali-speaking population includes people coming from Asian countries like India and Bangladesh.

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