Voters Education

Have you ever been stuck in traffic, and wished there were some plans to improve the highway conditions? Did you complain when the benefits for legal immigrants were cut? Have you ever been angry about unfair treatment in your workplace? Are you concerned about the crime rate in your neighborhood? Have you ever wanted to improve your childrens' education?

Do you feel helpless in these situations? Do you realize that you possess the power to change them? You CAN make a difference. By voting, you can make your wishes known.

Most people believe that there is only one election every four years. This assumption is wrong! Elections are held every year, and sometimes, there is more than one election a year. Some people think that they have to go to the voting polls to cast their vote. That is wrong; you may vote by absentee ballot through mail.

Also, the Chinese-American Voters Education Program (CVEP) is here to help Chinese-Americans participate in the process of voting. You must vote in order to make your voice to be heard, and to responsible for the laws that apply to your daily life.

Our objectives are:

• To promote voter registration, enhance voter education and increase the rate of voting by Chinese-Americans in Santa Clara county
• To maintain contact with government agencies, various social organizations, and their members in order to raise awareness of issues that concern us.
• To take our efforts one step further by encouraging more Chinese-Americans to become candidates and active participants in the political process.

Our first accomplishment was getting Santa Clara County to print English/Chinese bilingual ballots. These have been available since November 1997. This has enabled Chinese-Americans to better understand issues and the voting process. The presence of these ballots has greatly increased voter turnout rate. We plan to continue our efforts in serving the Chinese-American community in the years ahead.

CVEP is a program supported by CMAA with volunteers from different backgrounds and social groups. We have no political standings and do not favor any particular parties of candidates. If you share the same goal and interest, we would like to invite you to join us. We also welcome suggestions to help us become more effective. Thank you for your support!

Information Source:
CVEP Pamphlet "Chinese-American Voters Education Program"

[ Back | Forward | Top ]