Community-Centered Voter Education: A Foundation for Civic Participation in NYC

NYC is home to one of the largest immigrant communities in the country, each with its own unique history, culture, and journey. With over 3 million immigrant residents across the city, there is great potential for our local democracy to be shaped by these nuanced experiences and perspectives rooted in aspiration, collectivism, and resilience. 

Many immigrants face barriers to accessing voter information and education, including language barriers, socio-economics, and election spaces that don't support their needs or provide a sense of safety.

NYC Votes is committed to the process of building community-centered education opportunities where community members and their families feel welcome, understood, and encouraged to learn and take action civically.

Building Relationships

Our relationships with community-based organizations are crucial. It is through their lens that we learn about the preferences and needs of communities.  These needs include the curriculum topics that would be most relevant to participants, where the session should take place, and even what local foods to offer during events.

Our community partners serve as the bridge between city government and communities across the city. They provide a path for city government to build trust with the communities they serve, and allow for key information and resources to reach all New Yorkers.

_{NYC Votes teams with Sapna NYC, a community organization serving South Asian immigrant women and families.}

Centering Language Justice

Language access at NYC Votes’ education events takes shape in the form of interpretation and translation services in non-dominant languages.  But to accomplish language justice, our team also works with community leaders to provide paid-training on our workshop content and facilitation, equipping them to deliver education directly to their fellow community members.

An important component of language justice is for participants to see themselves – not just in the translated curriculum, but also in the teachers and presenters who lead the conversation. Since  NYC Votes’ Partnerships and Outreach team views education as an important component of language justice, we work to create fully in-language events with and for linguistically diverse community members, and delivered by people who are actively part of the community as well.

_{An NYC Votes staff member helping a community member wearing a language interpretation device.}

Considering Safety in Education

To help community members maintain focus and be present to learn, physical and psychological safety is an important consideration. 

NYC Votes works with community leaders to identify event spaces where participants feel safe walking to and from, can enter with all aspects of their tradition and culture intact (like removing shoes, bringing family members and children, or be welcomed with warm chai) and feel a sense of home. 

Choosing the right space: whether it’s a local library, church, mosque, community centers or homes, and providing attendees with transportation to and from our sessions are just some of the aspects involved in creating a safe space.

Education event participants, and NYC Votes totes bag prize winners, stand together for a picture outside.

Community-First Workshops

An educational workshop is not a one-size-fits-all solution, especially when it is meant to serve such a culturally diverse population. Community-centered education means providing various formats and channels of engagement. 

Each session follows the lead and preferences of our participants. In some, we sit on the floor in a circle and in others in a classroom. We may begin with a mindfulness practice or kick off the session with a pop quiz. Some sessions take place in the evening to accommodate work schedules while others fit in during a lunch at a community home. 

NYC Votes works with each group to determine how we can best measure value, satisfaction, and behavior change (like turning out to vote). 

Whether it’s asking to share a word before and after the session to understand how feelings and sentiments changed or conducting in-language phone surveys, we are reminded to stay patient in the process of learning and improving our community-centered education.

Education event with Haitian American Caucus at  Evangelical Crusade Christian Church in Brooklyn.

Reaching Immigrant Communities

It is no secret that many immigrant communities have been strategically left out of the voting process. It’s not only NYC Votes’ mandate but also our mission to deliver accessible information to encourage civic participation and voter turnout for communities like these that have not had access to the same resources.

Centering these diverse communities in our voter education efforts takes many forms and is ever changing, as the communities continue to grow and evolve themselves. 

Staying present, building a team that represents the diversity of New York City, and equipping ourselves with healing and trauma-informed tools to bring into learning spaces are all ways we can continue to honor the people we serve.

_{Voter materials in Chinese for Golden Day, the only day NYC voters can register and vote at the same time.}