FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CRT

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1997 (202) 616-2765

TDD (202) 514-1888

FEDERAL OBSERVERS TO MONITOR TUESDAY'S

GENERAL ELECTION IN NEW YORK CITY

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Federal observers will monitor Tuesday's

general election in portions of New York City, the Justice
Department announced today.

Seven observers will be at selected polls in New York and

Kings counties (Manhattan and Brooklyn) to observe the New York
City Board of Election's implementation of its Chinese-language
election program. As needed, balloting information will be
written in Chinese and English and interpreters will be available
to assist voters who request help.

Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Isabelle

Katz Pinzler said the Department decided to monitor the elections
because in past elections some Chinese-speaking voters were not
provided adequate election information in Chinese, as the law
requires, and were unable to cast their ballots.

Under the 1975 bilingual language provision of the Voting

Rights Act of 1965, election information, such as ballots, must
be provided in a language other than English in such areas as
Manhattan and Brooklyn.

The observers, who are supervised by the Office of Personnel

Management, will watch and record activities during voting hours
at several polling locations. Attorneys from the Civil Rights
Division will coordinate activities.

Since 1993, federal observers have monitored seven elections

in New York City. Tuesday's election is for mayor, comptroller,
city council and other offices.

Under federal law, a voter who needs assistance in casting

his or her ballot because of blindness, disability or inability
to read or write (including an inability to read or write the
English language) may be helped by a person of the voter's
choice.

Voters in New York can report possible discriminatory voting

practices to a federal examiner at (212) 941-4177. Voters also
may contact Sara Shudofsky at the U.S. Attorney's office in
Manhattan, (212) 385-6293, or Sanford Cohen at the U.S.
Attorney's office in Brooklyn, (714) 254-7000.
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