Chinatown Votes
On Tuesday, November 8th, 2016, the Chinese Christian Church and Center was packed full of excited first-time and returning voters. The early morning saw people lining up outside the Church to vote. Although the long line represented growing interest and increasing political participation for the Chinatown population, for many others, especially for the elderly those who work long hours outside of Chinatown, the long line acted more as an inhibitor. People were seen waiting to cast their vote from the morning to early afternoon. From 9:30am to 5:30pm, PCDC staff tabled on the corner of 10th and Spring Street, providing language assistance and encouraging those who registered to vote to stop by their polling stations. PCDC’s Get Out the Vote campaign helped to increase voter turnout. The 2016 General Election showed a marked growth of voter turnout, from 696 in 2012 to 809 for (a 16% increase) in Chinatown’s Ward 5, Division 24. There was greater voter turnout in other Wards, where PCDC knocked on doors and called voters.