OCA-NY Announces Voter Registration Drive

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                     CONTACT:  Edward T. Lau, Program Manager
March 2, 2018                                                                       (347) 988-0189 | info@oca-ny.org
                                                                                                            
OCA-NY Announces a Voter Registration Drive Ahead of Municipal and Statewide Elections
 
[New York, NY] OCA-New York - Asian Pacific American Advocates (OCA-NY) announces a voter registration drive to increase voting participation in advance of this year’s municipal and statewide elections.  The organization will be mobilizing resources in Asian American communities to help eligible Americans to register to vote.  The drive will include setting up registration tables around various communities, phone banking, and door knocking to help Americans register for the upcoming election.  OCA-NY will be kicking-off its voter registration drive with community partner, Abacus Federal Saving Bank, at their Bowery and Flushing branches starting on Saturday, March 3rd from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The voter registration drive will continue every Saturday in March.
 
“These local elections have a direct impact on people’s daily lives,” said Chi Loek, President of OCA-NY. “The election outcome impacts the schools our children attend, police and fire protection, resources allocated to our senior citizens, parks, transit system, taxes, investments, and much more. The partnership with Abacus Federal Saving Bank will allow eligible voters to register quickly and easily in convenient community locations.”
 
Every year, millions of Americans, especially those in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, do not claim their right to vote because they miss a deadline, move, change names, or simply do not know how to register to vote. With over 25% of eligible Americans having not voted at all, the voter registration drive is a chance to make a difference in helping build a more representative democracy, starting within the New York City AAPI communities.
 
“Abacus Bank is proud to partner with OCA-NY in its 2018 Voter Registration Drive,” said Jill Sung, President and CEO of Abacus Bank. “Voting is a fundamental right that all Asian American citizens should exercise so that our civil rights as individuals and a community are protected and preserved.”  Abacus Bank was founded by Thomas Sung to ensure that financial equality is provided to the AAPI community, particularly to those who through no fault of their own, have been prevented access to the financial system.  Achieving both economic and socio-political empowerment is necessary to ensure the AAPI community’s strength now and for the future.
 
Abacus Federal Saving Bank     Bowery Branch:               6 Bowery, New York, NY 10013
                                                           Flushing Branch:             36-30 Main St, Flushing, NY 11354
 
Founded in 1976, OCA-NY - Asian Pacific American Advocates is a Chapter of OCA. OCA is a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans. OCA-NY is also a member of APA VOICE, a non-partisan, pan-Asian collaboration of organizations and individuals seeking to increase civic engagement in the Asian American community.
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