Politics & Government

Berkeley Heights Voter Claims Poll Worker Mocked His Chinese Heritage

Resident says incident at Woodruff polling location was unprofessional and not the first time worker gave him and his wife a hard time.

I'd like to share a story that happened yesterday at the Woodruff polling station.

I went to the polling station around 7:15 pm and went to get my voter information verified. While I was talking to the old lady who was helping me the male election worker ( I don't know their official title so let's just use that name for now) started to look at me in the face. I heard me speaking to myself, don't do it again please don't. But there he goes anyway muttering out some Chines sounding words.

I had to stop what I was doing and asked him what he said and why he said that. He told me he thought I was a Chinese so he said Chinese to me. I was beyond myself. This is an official business and there is no business of mocking Chinese. I asked him what he is he said he is an American. I'm an American too! Everybody here voting is a US citizen. Why the hell do you think it's appropriate to single me out as a Chinese only because of my look?

It was not the first time he did it. My wife complained to me after she went vote in the morning. And he did it to both of us the time before. I had a brief confrontation with him and he said sorry. But he just can't learn.

What he did may sounds to be minor issue but just think about what you'd feel when you were mocked by some bullies in front of your friends at school. It is the same thing. No it is even worse. We both feel awkward, offended and were discouraged when we go there and vote. That's one of the reasons why we didn't go to the last special election.

Again the election is the most secret right of a US citizen and discriminate anybody based on there color, origin, ethnicity is illegal. I have wrote a email to the Union county election administrator and I hope you can post my experience online to let more people be aware of it and confront the violators when necessary.

Wei Ma


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