TALLAHASSEE – Today, Florida Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Progress (FLAAPP) proudly announced the official launch of their statewide coalition and voter assistance website to provide Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) throughout the state of Florida the resources they need to actively engage in the electoral process in order build power in their communities.

The FLAAPP coalition will encourage civic participation among AAPI Floridians by coordinating grassroots engagement efforts throughout the state, with partners on the ground in Tallahassee, Jacksonville, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami.

“We formed the FLAAPP coalition because every single day, in small towns and big cities throughout our state, AAPI Floridians work hard, raise families, and contribute to the vibrant diversity of cultures that make up our communities,” stated FLAAPP Coalition Director Hannah Locop. “At FLAAPP, we aim to provide AAPI voters with the resources they need to engage in the electoral process, build political power, and participate in the social movements that will lead to a brighter future for all of us.”

As part of these engagement efforts, AAPI Floridians can visit FLAAPP.org/vote, where they will find the resources they need to make a plan to vote with information provided in six languages (English, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Hindi, Urdu, and Arabic) on how to register to vote, sign up to vote by mail, and to find Early Voting and Election Day polling places in their communities. 

“More than half of Asian Americans in Florida speak a language other than English at home, which is why providing language access is vital to reaching these households,” explained FLAAPP Coalition Director Hannah Locop. “Our goal as a coalition is to meet voters where they are so they have all the information they need in an accessible way that encourages civic participation.”

Data from the Pew Research Center shows that Asian Americans have been the fastest-growing group of eligible voters in the country over the last two decades. However, over half of registered Asian American voters nationwide reported not being contacted by a major political party in the last two years in a 2022 survey. 

In Florida, the share of eligible AAPI voters increased by almost 30% from 2012-2022, according to data from the nonpartisan nonprofit APIAVote, showing the strong need for outreach to this fast-growing community.

“Too often, the needs of our communities are overlooked by elected leaders and policymakers who do not make the effort to engage AAPI voters where they are on the issues that matter to us,” FLAAPP Coalition Director Hannah Locop continued. “The FLAAPP coalition will help change that because we know that it is only through organizing and speaking out that we can ensure that AAPI Floridians are given the seat at the table that we deserve when decisions are being made that impact all of our lives.”