Bengali is the only Indian language to feature on New York's ballot papers this presidential election

Not just English, but four other languages feature on the ballot papers for the upcoming US presidential elections. Among the four languages that feature on the ballot paper, the only Indian language to feature is Bengali.

The language options are available for voters in New York, often known as a melting pot of cultures, where over 200 languages are spoken across the city. The United States will vote to elect its 47th president on Tuesday.

“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.

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Ryan explained the context of this decision, which resulted from a lawsuit focused on language access. “The settlement required that an Asian Indian 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.

Dr. Avinash Gupta, President of the Federation of Indian Associations, emphasised the importance of the initiative. “This helps the Indian community to go out and vote. That’s how our voices are heard. Indians are a sizable population here, and it’s heartening to see so many participate in the electoral process,” said Dr. Gupta.

(With inputs from agencies)