September 22, 2023 (New York, NY) – This past Tuesday, September 19, was National Voter Registration Day. While the Sikh Coalition deliberately chose not to promote this important initiative in the moment to give space and respect to the breaking news out of Canada (learn more about our ongoing work here), we still want to highlight our efforts to ensure that the Sikh voice is heard in our democracy. The first and easiest step in doing so is to ensure that all sangat members are able to exercise their right to vote in all upcoming elections.
In advance of elections both this year and in 2024, the Sikh Coalition is encouraging sangats to confirm their own voter registration information and to help their friends and family do the same via free tools like vote.org! As a reminder, the Sikh Coalition is a non-profit and non-partisan organization. All of our GOTV work is done in support of broader Sikh American civic engagement, and not for the benefit of any candidate, elected official, or political party.
“It’s vital for Sikh Americans to exercise our right to vote, and we are working hard to remind elected officials that the Sikh community cannot be ignored,” said Nikki Singh, Sikh Coalition Senior Manager of Policy and Advocacy. “A strong Sikh voter turnout for elections both this year and next will reinforce the rising political power of our Sikh community and the wider AANHPI population.”
When making a plan to vote, note that many states also start early voting, which allows voters to go to the polls in advance of Election Day. This helps to reduce crowds and ensures that more people have an opportunity to vote. To be clear, early voting is distinct from voting by mail or absentee voting. Early voting happens at a physical polling place; voting by mail is done remotely, with a ballot that is sent to your place of residence. Again, you can learn more about upcoming elections and your state’s rules for voting by mail or voting early via vote.org. Please also note that in some states, 16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register to vote—an important step to ensuring youth participation in the 2024 elections!
The Sikh Coalition believes that it is critical for all Americans, regardless of their party affiliation or political preferences, to cast their ballots for federal elected officials, governor and other state-level positions, local-level officials, and ballot issues. We will continue sharing information about other ways to get involved (for example, learn more about volunteering as a poll worker here) in the weeks ahead; if you have any questions, please reach out to gotv@sikhcoalition.org.
As always, the Sikh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.