Civic Engagement

We promote civic participation and neighborhood involvement.

Chhaya registers eligible voters, holds candidate forums, and partners with other organizations to ensure South Asian and Indo-Caribbean voices are heard at the local and national level.

We organize direct actions and mobilize community members to engage with their local government, regardless of their citizenship status or voter eligibility, through community board meetings, city council hearings, the land use review process, and participatory budgeting.

To ensure participation in the 2020 Census, Chhaya has carried out awareness campaigns, workshops, and amid COVID-19 we’ve reached out to more than 10,000 constituents via phone banking.

Voting

If voting in person, follow these COVID-19 safety precautions:
Wear a face covering. Face coverings are required to enter all polling sites. Protect those around you and wear a face-covering correctly (over your nose and mouth).

Practice healthy hand hygiene. Polling sites will provide hand sanitizer, and you can also bring your own. Use hand sanitizer before and after touching any shared surfaces and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after you get home. Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.

Practice physical distancing. Polling places will be set up to ensure physical distancing. Follow instructions and stay at least 6 feet away from others while at your polling site.

We encourage you to vote early, if possible, before Election Day or choose a time when your voting center is less busy, usually mid-morning or early afternoon.

Resources

When you vote early, there are shorter lines, and it is a safe option that will reduce the strain on the postal service, and on the Board of Elections ballot counters. More information is available here.

Bangla | বাঙালি and Urdu | اردو 

Finding Your Polling Site:

You can find Your Poll site and View a Sample Ballot here.

Voter Guide
English, Bangla, Nepali
More information here.

Ballot questions
Sample Ballot

Interpretation services:

The NYC Civic Engagement Commission (NYCEC) provides language interpretation services in languages including Bengali and Urdu at select poll sites for the November General Election. Interpretation services are provided on the last weekend of early voting, Saturday, October 30th, Sunday, October 31st*, and on Election Day, Tuesday, November 2nd. More information here.