The Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, located in Sunset Park, serves as one of the voting stations for the local Chinese community. By the afternoon of October 26, over 300 people had already cast their votes. New York State kicked off early voting on this date, and as soon as the polls opened, more than a dozen voters were seen lining up outside the church. According to the election station manager, participation was robust, and they anticipate a busy few days ahead. Thanks to the abundance of online information, voters have been better informed, reducing the occurrences of confusion, such as going to the wrong voting station.

Linda S. Lyons, the senior coordinator at the polling station, reported that as of around 1 PM, more than 300 people had visited to vote. Drawing from past presidential election experiences, she expects a high volume of voters in the coming days, with over 30 translators and volunteers on site daily. She recalled the previous presidential early voting day when long lines formed an hour before opening, with many voters braving the rain. Lyons cautioned that voters cannot enter the polling place before opening hours, and any votes cast before then would be considered invalid. She emphasized the importance of checking the opening times before heading out.

Lyons noted that many voters checked their voting station addresses in advance, leading to a minimal number going to the wrong places that day. To assist Chinese-speaking voters, the station offered four translators fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, along with Ballot Marking Devices that provide multilingual support for voters. “Through the translation available on the device, plus the assistance from translators, they shouldn’t have to worry too much,” she added.

On that day, a male voter supporting Donald Trump, wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, entered the polling area unbothered by a staff request to remove it. It wasn’t until police intervened that he took off the hat. Senior coordinator Mike Huang reiterated that items featuring campaign slogans, candidate names, or promotional materials are not permitted in the voting area.

One of the Chinese translators reported seeing over 30 Chinese voters casting their ballots by noon, indicating an increase since previous elections. Some voters approached with uncertainty about whom to vote for and sought staff advice. The translator responded, “I can’t interfere or give opinions; it’s your right to decide.”