AAPI Texans Vote 2026: What Ethnic Media Need to Know Ahead of Election Day

By Tariq Khan, Pakistan Chronicle

Texas, 22 October 2026. With Election Day on 3 November getting closer, voting rights lawyers and community leaders sat down with ethnic media reporters on Thursday for a virtual briefing built around one simple goal: making sure every eligible Texan can cast a ballot with confidence. The session, titled AAPI Texans Vote 2026, was organised by American Community Media (ACoM) and the Asian Law Caucus and ran from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Central Time. Simultaneous interpreting was offered in Korean and Mandarin, and anyone who wanted the original English audio could choose no language when registering.

The timing mattered. As the invitation for the briefing explained, Texas voters are facing serious questions about their voting rights ahead of the midterm elections. These include the state voter suspense list, registration challenges and possible barriers at the polling place. For readers of the Pakistan Chronicle, many of whom are first time or newly active voters, the discussion offered plenty of practical guidance.

A Room Full of Community Media

The briefing drew reporters and publishers from across the state. Participants introduced themselves in the chat, among them the founder of Vocal Vibes TV, a Houston based multicultural media platform with a strong focus on Asian and South Asian communities, a representative of Radio Naya Andaz, which broadcasts on 103.5 FM and 1180 KGOL and online at YouAreOnair.com, and the media team director of Dalsaram.com, a Korean American platform serving the Dallas Fort Worth area. Sunita Sohrabji of ACoM also joined, and ACoM staff helped relay questions from reporters who needed assistance. Organisers noted at the start that Korean interpreting would begin eight minutes late, a small hiccup in an otherwise smooth session.

Where to Turn When Something Goes Wrong

One of the first questions came from a radio host who asked how voters can tell the difference between legitimate election procedures and administrative mistakes or actions that could wrongly stop eligible people from voting, and where they can file a complaint. Nina Lea Oishi, a staff attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP), said voters who run into problems, see behaviour that looks improper or simply feel confused should call the Election Protection hotlines.

The numbers shared during the briefing are worth saving and sharing with your community.

• English: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
• Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682)
• Asian languages: 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683)
• Arabic: 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287)
• American Sign Language: 301-818-VOTE (301-818-8683)
• Disability Rights Texas: 888-796-VOTE (888-796-8683)

A reporter also asked what actually happens after a call is made about intimidation at a polling site. Kim Leung, a staff attorney with the Asian Law Caucus, explained that the response depends on the circumstances, which is exactly why calling in matters, because it lets the team understand the facts on the ground. She acknowledged that someone who is being actively intimidated may not be able to phone, so she encouraged community members to be good neighbours and call if they see it happening to someone else. According to Leung, the hotline often works with election offices and poll workers to resolve problems, and the network includes lawyers who may, depending on the situation, seek emergency relief through the courts.

Mosques, Temples and Other Places of Worship as Polling Places

For many South Asian families, the idea of voting inside a place of worship raises questions. One participant asked whether polling locations in temples are allowed. Kim Leung confirmed that some places of worship do operate as polling places. Chanda Parbhoo, founder and president of SAAVETX, added that temples and mosques serve as polling locations across Texas. ACoM later shared a link to related reporting on mosques from its race relations coverage.

Sunita Sohrabji asked how temples and mosques get certified as polling places. No answer was recorded in the meeting chat, so it remains a good follow up question for reporters to put to county election offices.

Seats, Priority and Comfort for Older Voters

Long ballots and long lines can be hard on older voters. One participant noted that the ballot in Texas this year includes 107 races and asked whether older people who get tired can ask for a seat. Oishi said yes, they can. She added that Texas law now allows voters with mobility problems to move directly to the front of the line. A sign explaining this must be posted at every polling place in the state, on the Secretary of State website and on every county elections office website. A resource page on voting order priority for mobility issues was shared at texasvoterprotection.org/voting-order-priority-for-mobility-issues.

Stopping Misinformation Before It Spreads

Reporters were especially interested in how smaller outlets can protect their audiences from misleading election information, particularly as AI generated content becomes harder to spot. Leung said one important step is to report mis and disinformation to local election offices, and to avoid amplifying it by resharing. Oishi said TCRP, and she was certain the other organisations on the call, are available to guide reporters with questions. She pointed journalists to the Texas Election Code, the county websites and the Secretary of State website, and shared TCRP one pagers on a wide range of issues at txcivilrights.org/tcrp-voting-rights. Journalists can also reach the TCRP media desk at media@texascivilrightsproject.org.

Sandy Close of ACoM shared a sobering reminder from the organisation’s own research. More than one third of Asian Americans are willing to share misinformation even when they know it is false. The study is available on the ACoM website.

Why Smaller Communities Still Decide Close Races

A radio host observed that smaller communities can swing close elections, especially down the ballot, yet many feel their vote in Texas does not count for much. He asked how that mindset can change and how more people can be encouraged to vote early.

Leung said the belief comes from a partial truth. Smaller communities are often used to being ignored, and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are under mobilised, meaning they are less likely than others to be asked or invited to take part. She said that for the organisations on the call, election season runs all year, every year, because it takes far more than one night to convince someone their voice matters when their lived experience suggests otherwise. Groups such as Asian Texans for Justice and SAAVETX keep engaging community members and encouraging them to take part and speak up on the issues they care about.

Parbhoo shared a concrete example of that work. SAAVETX is bringing busloads of students from UT Austin to Collin County to vote.

Other Questions From the Floor

The chat was busy throughout the hour. Participants asked whether the organisations are working on the concerns of H1B visa holders, many of them in Texas’s technology sector, who say their path to citizenship has been blocked by executive orders. Others asked whether incentives can be offered to vote, whether voters can fill in only part of a long ballot, whether an AAPI convention could be held in Texas after the election to plan for the next cycle, and why one major party has spent less than the other on advertising with minority media this year. Two questions also touched on comments made by Bo French and a statement by Karl Rove about him. The meeting chat does not record answers to these questions.

Resources Shared During the Briefing

• SAAVETX resources in multiple South Asian languages
• Asian Texans for Justice Ballot Builder and other voter resources
• TCRP one pagers on accessibility and common voting issues
• Asian Law Caucus resources, including its Texas voter suspense list resource
• Election Protection hotlines, listed above

What This Means for Our Readers

The message from the briefing was clear and practical. Know your rights, keep the hotline numbers handy, ask for help if you need a seat or priority in line, and think before you share anything about voting that you have not checked with an official source. Early voting is already open, and Election Day falls on 3 November. For South Asian and Pakistani American communities in Texas, the speakers stressed that turnout, in the midterms and beyond, begins with being informed.

Meet the Speakers

	Kimberly Leung Staff Attorney, National Democracy Initiative, Asian Law Caucus Kim Leung partners with community organisations and nonprofits on voting rights and civic engagement. Her work includes investigating, litigating and speaking out against violations of voting rights and election laws. She holds a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin, where she interned with the Wisconsin Innocence Project, and a B.A. from the University of Michigan. Raised in a multilingual, limited English speaking household, Kim cares deeply about language and disability access and about racial justice. Based in Chicago, she sits on the boards of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, the professionals board of CARPLS legal aid and the Chinese American Bar Association of Greater Chicago.
	Nina Lea Oishi Staff Attorney, Voting Rights Program, Texas Civil Rights Project Nina joined TCRP after serving as an assistant county attorney in the Affirmative and Special Litigation Division of the Harris County Attorney’s Office. There she advised on election issues and led a 2025 lawsuit challenging the unlawful federal termination of refugee resettlement programs. Prior to relocating to Texas, she was a Yale Law Journal Public Interest Fellow and clerked for the Honorable Robert E. Bacharach on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Nina earned her J.D. at Yale Law School in 2022.
	Nabila Mansoor Co Executive Director, Asian Texans for Justice and Rise Action Fund Nabila has devoted several years to raising political awareness in underrepresented communities. She leads Asian Texans for Justice and Rise Action Fund, two civic engagement organisations working to unite, organise and support the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in Texas. Her earlier roles include President of Asian American Democrats of Texas, President of the Texas Multicultural Advocacy Coalition and founding Executive Director of Emgage’s Texas chapter. She led the Empowering Communities Initiative’s 2020 Census project to help ensure a full count of Houston’s AAPI population, serves on the Board of Municipal Utility District 137 and holds a law degree from the University of Houston Law Center. Her background spans community organising, leadership development and strategic planning.
	Chanda Parbhoo Founder and President, SAAVETX Education Fund A South Asian mother and longtime advocate from Dallas, Chanda started SAAVETX in 2017 after noticing that South Asians in Texas were neither being counted nor courted in politics. Her earlier work included volunteering in local schools, advocating for equitable education and organising against rising hate crimes. SAAVETX Education Fund is now a statewide civic network that develops South Asian leaders in Houston, Austin, Dallas and beyond, supporting thousands through voter registration, education, leadership development and community mobilisation. It has built relationships with more than 50 elected officials, from federal representatives to local leaders. The organisation is not political. It is rooted in education, empowerment and civic participation, and it envisions a Texas where every South Asian feels seen, heard and represented.