The ballots for this US presidential election include four different languages in addition to English. The Bengali language is one of the four languages that appear on the ballot.

With more than 200 languages spoken across the city, New York is sometimes referred to as a melting pot of cultures. Voters can choose from these language alternatives. On Tuesday, the 47th president of the United States will be chosen by popular vote.

“We are required to service four other languages besides English. These are Chinese, Spanish, Korean, and Bengali,” said Micheal J. Ryan, Executive Director of New York City’s Board of Elections.

Subhshesh, a sales agent in Times Square with Bengali heritage, feels happy as his father, who lives in Queens, will benefit from the linguistic support when casting his vote. “People like me know English, but many in our community prefer their native language. This will make things easier at the polling station,” says Subhshesh.

According to PTI, the presence of Bengali on New York’s ballots is not merely symbolic but a legal obligation. Under city regulations, Bengali voting materials are provided at certain polling sites in order to ensure that Bengali-speaking citizens have full access to crucial information and voting options. These include both Indian as well as Bangladeshi Bengalis. 

Ryan explained the context of this decision, which resulted from a lawsuit focused on language access. “The settlement required that an South Asian language be available where population density is high, and Bengali was chosen after negotiations,” he noted. The choice, he acknowledged, has limitations but came from a mandate aimed at increasing accessibility.

The first appearance of Bengali-language ballots in Queens was back in 2013, nearly two years after a federal order, under the 1965 Voting Rights Act, mandated language assistance for South Asian minority groups.

The Bengali-speaking population in New York includes people from Asian countries like India and Bangladesh. While it doesn’t cover the full range of languages in the region, the addition of Bengali is expected to encourage voter turnout within this community, PTI reports.

Ahmed Bokht Chowdhury, a prominent Bangladeshi American journalist, highlighted the importance of this initiative, stating, “This encourages the Bengali community to vote, making our voices heard. Bengalis form a significant population here, and it’s inspiring to see so many engage in the electoral process.”