Your Vote Is Precious — And Protected
Blog
Jul. 31, 2026
By Sim Singh Attariwala, Director of the Anti-Hate Program, and Zaria Guignard, Manager of the Census and Civic Engagement Program
As voters look ahead to 2026 amid rising concerns about political violence and intimidation, this blog highlights new data on voter fears, the history and reality of intimidation faced by Asian American voters, and the legal protections and resources available to help every voter cast their ballot safely and confidently.
Despite robust laws protecting Americans from intimidation when they cast their ballots, many Americans are entering the next election cycle with deep fears about political violence, intimidation, election security, and the future of democracy. According to a new national survey commissioned by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE), many American voters view political unrest as an expected feature of American life. Eight in ten Americans believe political violence is a problem in the United States today, while seven in ten expect that the next presidential election will bring disruption, efforts to call into question election results, or even another January 6-style attack. Less than half of those polled feel safe at their polling places.
The survey’s findings arrive at a moment when many Americans believe our country is approaching dangerous political crossroads. Nearly seven in ten say the U.S. is “as or more divided” than it was during the Civil War. The survey suggests that millions of Americans fear violence, intimidation, and democratic instability. And while it’s unclear how these beliefs effect behaviors, Americans are concerned about participating in public life, expressing political views, or even casting a vote.
Fears around voting are not new, especially for the Asian American community. While the GPAHE findings did not disaggregate for Asian Americans, research Advancing Justice — AAJC conducted in 2022 revealed that one in eight Asian Americans were concerned about being harassed or intimidated at the polls. Moreover, according to our polling, nearly 40% of Asian Americans reported having COVID-related safety concerns with in-person voting — though this likely reflects either a concern about anti-Asian violence at the polls during a period of increased anti-Asian attacks or contracting COVID.
These fears are grounded in the unfortunate reality that Asian Americans have been intimidated at the polls. In 2020, dozens of voters in Lowell, Massachusetts were subject to “anti-Asian and xenophobic comments that were being hurled at voters standing in line,” said Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, the executive director of the Boston-based organization Lawyers for Civil Rights. He reported that the slurs were quite “loud and audible” and included comments like, “Go back to where you come from.” In 2015, 10 Chinese American college students accused the town supervisor of Deerpark, New York of intimidation when he challenged their voter registrations. Ultimately, the students’ voter registrations were cleared. The New York Attorney General’s Office noted “several areas of concern” in how the new voter challenges were handled.
The GPAHE research is deeply concerning for a variety of reasons — chief among them the chilling effect these fears may have on voter turnout — but it’s important to remember that voter intimidation is illegal. When voters know their rights, it may help them feel more confident in casting their ballot. Fifty-three percent of respondents in the GPAHE study expressed concern about ICE or the National Guard “being deployed to monitor polling stations.” But federal officers cannot interfere in elections, and troops and armed federal agents cannot be deployed anywhere an “election is held.”Voting rights advocates are prepared to challenge voter intimidation incidents, and if this was attempted, voting rights advocates will be there.
In the same survey, more than 60% of respondents expressed concerns about people carrying weapons at the polling place as well as a possible violent attack or shooting. However, it’s illegal to wield a weapon in an intimidating manner at a polling station. Some states have banned guns and weapons in polling places, and most states prohibit guns in polling places located near schools.
Voters can be empowered by knowing how to exercise their legal rights before election day. Here are three things you can do to feel confident before casting your ballot:
Make sure you are registered where you live currently and your voter registration is up to date prior to voting. Voter registration deadlines for your state are here.
If there are concerns about ICE or other federal agents being in your area, you can vote by mail or cast a ballot in person during early voting. If available or required by your state, we recommend that you sign up/apply to get a mail/absentee ballot and use a dropbox option over the mail if available. If you are mailing in your ballot, send it back at least seven days before Election Day. Deadlines and requirements to sign up for mail/absentee ballots in your state are available here. See here for more information if there are reports of agents at your polling site.
Advancing Justice | AAJC and APIA Vote run a hotline where voters can get answers to their questions about voting, including registration and signing up for mail/absentee ballots. Assistance is available in nine Asian languages — Mandarin (普通話), Cantonese (廣東話), Korean (한국어), Vietnamese (tiếng Việt), Tagalog, Urdu (اردو), Hindi (हिंदी), Bengali/Bangla (বাংলা) and Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ) and English. Call 1–888-API-VOTE or 1–888–274–8683 for assistance if you have any questions or experience any issues while voting.
If you see anything that you think could be considered voter intimidation, you can call 1–888-API-VOTE or 1–888–274–8683 to report it and learn about your options.
Democracy is denied when those who turn the ballot from a promise of freedom and agency into a source of fear and control. From Reconstruction through the civil rights movement, voter intimidation was used to silence communities and preserve unequal power. But again and again, people refused to surrender their voice, and their courage helped expand the electorate for generations to come.
Asian Americans carry their own history of exclusion from the ballot: until 1952, nearly all Asian immigrants were barred from naturalized citizenship because of racial restrictions in federal law. That history reminds us that voting rights are not guaranteed unless we are willing to defend them.
To quote the late Rep. John Lewis, “Your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union.”
