As the 2026 Midterm elections draw near, advocacy groups across the state are preparing to help provide assistance and protection for immigrant voters at the polls.
Some immigrant-focused groups, like El Pueblo and N.C. Asian Americans Together, have heard anxiety from community members who are afraid of immigration enforcement presence at the polls. While President Donald Trump has said as recently as last Friday that he will not send immigration enforcement officers to polling sites – which is illegal under federal law – advocates say the fear they're hearing is understandable given the increasing number of immigration arrests over the past two years.
"I think right now this political climate is making folks feel very disempowered in North Carolina and across the country, and (voting) is one of the key ways that people can exercise their power," said Alissa Lopez, a board volunteer at El Pueblo. "(The current administration) is trying so hard to take away this power through intimidation and fearmongering tactics because we have a powerful voice."
Local advocates also noted concerns that some North Carolina counties and municipalities have entered into 287(g) agreements with ICE, meaning that local police are given the power to enforce federal immigration law. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has mapped which local governments have 287(g) agreements – currently, there are none in the Triangle, and agreements are more active in rural areas of the state.
"What we don't want is for voters to not turn out to vote," said Chavi Khanna Koneru, executive director of NC Asian Americans Together. " We know, especially in North Carolina, the margins are so slim in some of these races. So every vote counts, and we need to make sure that everyone's able to safely cast those votes."
El Pueblo and N.C. Asian Americans Together are providing immigrant voters a number of services, including voter hotlines that are available in multiple languages and assistance with vote-by-mail ballots. They will also be stationing nonpartisan monitors at various polling locations. Here's a breakdown of those resources and how to access them:
Multilingual hotlines
El Pueblo will activate its Spanish language hotline on the first day of in-person voting, which is Thursday, Oct. 15. Folks looking to access voter resources in Spanish can call 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (1-888-687-8683). The hotline will be staffed by volunteers who are trained in North Carolina election law and operating in partnership with national Latino civic engagement nonprofit NALEO Education Fund.
N.C. Asian Americans Together has a voter hotline folks can call at 1-833-VOTE-NCAAT, which is available in nine languages, including Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Hindi, and Urdu.
Poll watchers at polling sites
NCAAT plans to deploy nonpartisan poll observers to three sites in Wake County, and then one each in Mecklenburg, Cumberland, Orange and Cabarrus counties for every day of in-person voting, plus Election Day. The organization is also partnering with Underwire, which is a local group of mothers working on voter engagement.
Alissa Lopez at El Pueblo noted that some organizations, notably Democracy NC, are providing vote protection training to those looking to volunteer to watch for unusual activity at the polls.
NCAAT and El Pueblo also are connected with local groups that do ICE presence verification, such as Carolina Migrant Network and Siembra NC, and they will activate their network if they suspect immigration enforcement activity at the polls.
Assistance with vote-by-mail
In North Carolina, more Asian voters choose to vote by mail compared to other racial groups in the state, said Chavi Khanna Koneru. Thus, NCAAT is organizing webinars and clinics to help voters understand the rules for vote-by-mail, including newer requirements, such as making sure the inner envelope is completely sealed before sending it to the N.C. Board of Elections. NCAAT is also one of several organizations who have filed suit to block new absentee ballot guidelines that were recently approved by the N.C. Board of Elections, arguing that they could disenfranchise folks to choose to vote by mail.
Lopez at El Pueblo said that Spanish language assistance for absentee and vote-by-mail can be found at online at votemosnc.com.
