Gujarati in NJ elections |
The New Jersey elections site has expanded its reach by now featuring a Gujarati language option. This year during the November general election, the state`s Division of Elections began publishing candidate statements and public questions on its website in Gujarati and Korean, in addition to Spanish and English. This will help the roughly 200,000 Asian Americans in New Jersey who stay away from polling places during elections to be able to vote. The language accommodations reflect the state`s shifting demographics, particularly in North and Central Jersey. More than 300,000 Indians and 98,000 Koreans call the state home. New Jersey has the third highest number of foreign-born residents in the United States, after California and New York, according to a Pew Research Center report. Indian American state Assemblyman Raj Mukherji said voting accommodations benefit first generation immigrants most. Older generations have kids that go to schools here, they are paying taxes, they are naturalized citizens, but they are still not fully comfortable with the English language because they came here later in life, said Mukherji , adding that about 110,000 people in New Jersey speak Gujarati — the most of any state.
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