Bi-lingual canvassing in a NH mill town

[mike from ri]

Nashua NH’s 4th ward is solidly democratic, poor, and crowded with triple-deckers (3-tier tenements). Increasingly, it is the home of Hispanic immigrants. And it has a history of low voter turn-out. But that is about to change. A small contingent of us Rhode Islanders, having little electioneering activity to do in our safely-democratic home-state, have taken to traveling an hour-and-a-half each way to focus on this overlooked northern New England barrio.

The walk lists (lists of addresses with the names of potential voters) given out at the makeshift Nashua A.C.T. headquarters (if one can call 4 unfinished undecorated walls, a concrete floor, a roof and a portable table, “a headquarters“), prove to be useless in the field. The houses are so subdivided that, at each address, a canvasser is bewildered by multiple poorly-marked doorbells most of which seem out of order. The names on the list do not correlate in any event. Better to knock on each door or, where possible, buttonhole residents encountered on doorstops and side-yards (the weather is brisk but not prohibitive).

Here is where I found that I could turn my Spanish-language ability and NH’s same-day registration program to my advantage.

I found an Anglo-looking couple unloading groceries in their driveway. I begin my spiel: “Hi, I’m with Americans-Coming-Together. We’re a non-profit community-based organization walking around neighborhoods here in New Hampshire finding out what people such as you think about the election coming up on Tues. Nov. 2nd." They return two polite smiles with blank looks. Asking “what are the issues of concern to you in this Presidential Election?” I receive more of the same. Figuring I may have misjudged based on superficialities, I convert to Spanish.

-- ¿Hablan Vds. Español?

-- ¡Sí, como no!

-- Bueno. Estoy apoyando a John Kerry por presidente y espero que Vds. voten por Kerry en las eleciones, el Martes, el Segundo de Noviembre -- el Martes siguiente despúes del Martes que viene.

-- Pero no estamos inscrito aquí.

A perfect opening for me to explain same-day registration! My interviewees were enthusiastic, explaining they had loyally voted for the Democratic affiliate party in Puerto Rico where they hailed from. We bid each other warm farewells in Spanish and I knew I was on a roll.

Thank G-d for same-day registration! These folks just needed info and motivation. They will upset a lot of pollsters who never take into account this type of voter.

The rest of the day proved as profitable.


-- Mike from RI; written Oct 26 (recounting canvassing on Oct. 23)

[Malva Zebrina]

1. Good for you!!

Will there be help for those who might have trouble speaking English at the polling place?

[mike from ri]

2. i am working on that

trying to arrange to follow-thru on tues.

[calico1]

3. Gracias, Mike!

Muy buen trabajo!

;)

[blondeatlast]

4. !Muchas gracias, Miguel!

!Su trabajo y su voto están a todos beneficia!

(Your work and their vote is to everyone's benefit!)

[mike from ri]

5. de nada

no text