US polls: New York ballots feature an Indian language, but it's not Hindi

US Presidential elections 2024: On Tuesday (November 5), voters across the US will cast their ballots to choose the next president - Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump

New York City has a rich linguistic diversity, with over 200 languages spoken, reinforcing its status as a cultural melting pot. However, in a notable contrast to this diversity, the ballots for the upcoming US presidential election will be printed in only four languages in addition to English, including Bengali, an Indian language.

 

As the US gears up to elect its 47th President on Tuesday, the inclusion of Bengali highlights both the representation of Indian culture in the US and the significance of the Indian community within the country.

 

In addition to Bengali, the other languages featured on the ballots will be Chinese, Spanish, and Korean, along with English.

 

"We are required to service four other languages besides English. It is Chinese, Spanish, Korean and Bengali as the Asian languages," said Micheal J Ryan, executive director at Board of Elections, NYC to news agency PTI.

 

This decision legally obligates the New York City administration to provide voting materials in Bengali at designated polling locations.  US Election Results 2024 live

How was Bengali chosen for the US election ballot?

Ryan explained that the selection of Bengali was driven by legal considerations. "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," he said.

 

Bengali was first included on ballots in 2013, when the South Asian community in Queens received translated ballots due to federal mandates established under the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which aimed to ensure language assistance for South Asian minorities.

 

Bengali speakers include individuals from both India and Bangladesh. Although this does not include all regional languages, the inclusion of Bengali is expected to enhance voter turnout among the Bengali-speaking community.

US Presidential elections 2024

On Tuesday (November 5), voters across the US will cast their ballots for the next president. While results are usually available within hours, a close contest — anticipated between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump — might postpone a definitive outcome for several days.

US presidential elections: Polling hours

Polling hours vary by state and local jurisdiction. In Vermont, some locations open as early as 10:00 GMT. Most states, including Georgia, Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Florida, typically see polls open between 7:00 and 8:00 AM local time (12:00 to 13:00 GMT). In Hawaii, polls open later at 17:00 GMT. Closing times for polling stations range from 00:00 to 06:00 GMT, depending on local regulations.

 

Exit polls are scheduled for release at 5:00 PM EST (2:30 AM IST on November 6).