US Election 2024: Bengali one of four languages ​​on New York ballot: How was it chosen? | Latest Indian News

US Presidential Election 2024: New York A mixture of more than 200 languages, it lives up to its reputation as America’s melting pot, with people living here from a variety of cultures. However, contrary to this notion, the ballots that will be used for voting in the US presidential election will be printed in only four languages ​​other than English. Among them is the Indian language – Bengali.

As the nation prepares to elect its 47th president on Tuesday, the inclusion of the Bengali language means not only the representation of Indian culture in the US, but also the values ​​held by Indians there.

Apart from Bengali, the other four languages ​​on the ballot will be Chinese, Spanish, Korean and of course English.

“We are required to serve four other languages ​​besides English: Chinese, Spanish, Korean and Bengali as Asian languages,” Michael J. Ryan, executive director of the New York City Board of Elections, told PTI.

While this may not seem like a big difference given the size of the Indian population in the US, for people like Subhshesh, a Times Square salesman with Bengali roots, it is a cause for celebration.

He believes it will greatly benefit his father, a Queens resident, who will appreciate linguistic help in the election.

“Many people in our community are more comfortable speaking their native language. It helps them navigate the polling station,” he said, adding, “I know my father will appreciate the Bengali language ballot paper.”

Notably, this development places a legal obligation on New York City to provide voting materials in Bengali at certain polling stations.

How was Bengali chosen for the US ballot?

Official Ryan elaborates on how Bengali was chosen, adding that the choice arose from a legal point of view or out of necessity.

“The language access lawsuit highlighted the need for an Asian Indian language due to India’s diverse linguistic landscape. The resulting agreement required this support and, after negotiations, Bengali was chosen. Although there are restrictions, this choice arose out of legal necessity,” PTI quoted Ryan as saying.

Bengali was used for the first time on election ballots in 2013.

The South Asian community in Queens first experienced translation of ballots into Bengali in 2013, which was done to comply with federal mandates that required language support for South Asian minorities as part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Bengali speakers include people from countries such as India and Bangladesh. Although they do not represent all regional languages, this inclusion is expected to increase voter turnout among the Bengali-speaking community.