"It's my first time to vote in the United States"
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KENT - Ali Molahel speaks very little English, and has never voted before -- not even in Somalia where he's from.
Right now, he's voting, for the first time, casting his votes on a mail-in ballot and getting his questions about the ballot answered.
Abdullah, also from Somalia, is answering his questions and helping him fill out the ballot at a "ballot party" in Kent. The party is organized by an immigrants rights group called Hate Free Zone Washington.
"I'm very happy. I'm glad to vote," said Ali through an interpreter. "It's my first time to vote in the United States of America. It's my home now. America! It's my home."
Never before in this state has there been such a push to register new Americans.
"We have registered 11,300 people," says Pramila Jayapal, Executive Director at Hate Free Zone Washington. That's 11,000 new voters in the last 9 months. That's when Hate Free Zone started the push to get out the immigrant vote in this state.
This effort to get out the vote is modeled after a similar program in New York.
"These are races where if it comes down to a handful of votes, we know that our folks are really making a difference and maybe deciding the future of those race," says Jayapal.
Ali Molahel knows his vote really does count.
If you'd like more information about Hate Free Zone and the work they're doing with immigrant rights go to www.hatefreezone.org or call 1-866-HFZONE1
Right now, he's voting, for the first time, casting his votes on a mail-in ballot and getting his questions about the ballot answered.
Abdullah, also from Somalia, is answering his questions and helping him fill out the ballot at a "ballot party" in Kent. The party is organized by an immigrants rights group called Hate Free Zone Washington.
"I'm very happy. I'm glad to vote," said Ali through an interpreter. "It's my first time to vote in the United States of America. It's my home now. America! It's my home."
Never before in this state has there been such a push to register new Americans.
"We have registered 11,300 people," says Pramila Jayapal, Executive Director at Hate Free Zone Washington. That's 11,000 new voters in the last 9 months. That's when Hate Free Zone started the push to get out the immigrant vote in this state.
This effort to get out the vote is modeled after a similar program in New York.
"These are races where if it comes down to a handful of votes, we know that our folks are really making a difference and maybe deciding the future of those race," says Jayapal.
Ali Molahel knows his vote really does count.
If you'd like more information about Hate Free Zone and the work they're doing with immigrant rights go to www.hatefreezone.org or call 1-866-HFZONE1
