EPIC treats civic engagement as a critical advocacy tool for building political power in, with, and for the NHPI community. It takes many different forms from traditional voter registration, Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts, lobby days, pipelines to political appointments, and projects driven by young NHPI leaders. We have the power to create political change and our communities have always been equipped with the tools to do so. Together, we can make a better world for the next generation of NHPI communities.

Important Voting Information

GOTV Toolkit

  • Social Media Graphic/Video ToolKit

    Social Media Graphic/Video ToolKit

    To use the Toolkit

    1. Go to the the Google Drive Folder by clicking the link below

    2. Download the infographics, videos and captions

    3. Post to social media before November 5 election

California Propositions Voter Guide

  • YES: EPIC believes in the safety and well-being of students and there are over 23,000 Pasifika students enrolled in California public schools. This proposition will help build, repair and upgrade schools for our next generation of leaders.

  • YES: As people of Oceania, we understand that Queer and Trans Pacific Islanders (QTPI) have long been included in Pasifika communities. Prop 3 updates the current definition of marriage and reaffirms the rights of QTPIs.

  • YES: Pacific Islanders know too well that climate change is a battle in our homelands and the impacts are also felt here in the U.S. Prop 4 will fund programs to respond to the effects of climate change and protect our communities in diaspora.

  • YES: Prop 5 will help create a more democratic system that lets Pasifika voices be heard in local elections and make it easier for local governments to address issues like affordable housing.

  • YES: Pacific Islanders are overrepresented in California prisons. We believe incarcerated Pasifika communities should not be forced to work as punishment or be disciplined if they refuse to work.

  • YES: Over 165,000 Pacific Islanders are in California’s workforce, providing for multigenerational and multi-family households. While the minimum wage should allow us to meet the current cost of living, Prop 32 is a step in the right direction for our communities to thrive.

  • YES: Prop 33 will help support working class families by allowing for more supervision and protection for renters. Pasifika communities are more likely to rent than own in the U.S. (53%), we must ensure they can live without the burden of high rent costs each year.

  • ABSTAIN: Prop 34 will require health care providers who meet specific criteria to spend 98% of revenue on direct patient care. It would penalize organizations who are connected to addressing the housing crisis in California.

  • NO: While we acknowledge some of the benefits of Prop 35, it also potentially cuts funding that affects our children, elders and people with disabilities. EPIC supports healthy and thriving families that are beneficiaries of Medi Cal.

  • NO: EPIC stands firmly in believing that restoring our community will not be at the hands of continued incarceration and harm. Our organization’s position is to vote no on Prop 36 to protect our loved ones.

NHPI VOTES MATTERS

NHPI VOTES MATTERS

Why NHPIs Need to Vote in the 2024 Election

Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders face unique challenges in our electoral process. While we are in a pivotal moment in history, it is important that we understand the impacts of how our voices matter in any electoral process.

1. We vote to have a choice for our village at the table of democracy

We are reminded of the places and spaces we have been with our ancestors that sought a better world for us. As a community, we have come so far but still have more work to do to ensure that our village has a voice so that choices at the table of democracy across all political sectors are not made without us.

2. We vote to represent the 1.5 million Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders who live in the United States

The 2020 Census revealed that our community is continuing to grow vastly and wide like the ocean we care for. We represent people of the moana that are of mixed races, gender, undocumented, disabled and many layers of identity that are important for us to center when we vote.

3. We vote to address unequal pay amongst NHPI people who make an average salary of $28,313 compared to the average income of non-Hispanic whites, $44,375

We need resources and a pay that allows us to rest without the financial burden and provide for our loved ones. As a growing community so do the demands of financial stability that should be afforded to us without argument.

4. We vote to change the way NHPI is represented in data

As an organization that centers indigenous research and data practices, we value the way our communities are being accounted for. It is important that we continue to push for disaggregated data that reveals the inequities, disparities and needs of our communities across all sectors.

5. We vote for our Pacific Islander relatives who still don't have the right to vote today

Our communities have a long, painful history with the U.S. that has shaped our voting rights. While Hawai‘i gained full citizenship and voting rights after statehood in 1959, residents of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam remain U.S. nationals and citizens without a vote in presidential elections due to their territorial status. It’s crucial that we advocate for fair representation and understanding of our rights.