FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          CR
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1994                         (202) 616-2765
                                                         TDD (202) 514-1888


       JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO SEND FEDERAL OBSERVERS TO NEW YORK CITY
          AND TWO ARIZONA COUNTIES TO MONITOR TUESDAY'S ELECTIONS


     WASHINGTON, D.C. --  The Justice Department is taking steps
to ensure that Chinese-Americans and Native American Indians are
able to vote in Tuesday's primary elections in New York City and
Arizona.
     It is estimated that over 50,000 Chinese voting age citizens
who need language assistance in voting live in New York City.
Twenty-six federal observers will monitor whether election
officials are following Chinese-language bilingual procedures in
Manhattan and Brooklyn, as required by the Voting Rights Act.
     Another 46 federal observers will be in Apache and Navajo
Counties in Arizona to determine whether officials are complying
with the law to provide election information and assistance to
Navajo-speaking voters in their native language.
     Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Deval L. Patrick
said appropriate bilingual materials were not provided in
previous elections in New York.  On August 30, the Justice
Department approved a plan submitted by the New York Board of
Elections to provide fully translated ballots, including
translation of the full names of candidates.
     In Arizona, the Justice Department sued the State last year
for allegedly failing to provide language assistance as required
by the minority language provisions of the Voting Rights Act. 
Under an agreement, the State modified an earlier settlement plan
ensuring language assistance and agreed to train translators to
provide effective assistance in the voting booths.  The Navajo
language is unwritten, so all assistance provided to Navajo-
speaking voters must be given orally.  
     The observers, employees of the Office of Personnel
Management, will watch and record activities during voting hours
at county polling locations.  Nine Justice Department attorneys
will coordinate federal activities.
     Voters in New York City can report possible discriminatory
voting practices to a federal examiner at (212) 264-4890 (English
and Chinese language callers); or (212) 264-9906 (English and
Spanish Language callers)
     Person in Arizona should report complaints to (602) 871-
4134.