Chicago Chinatown Groups Mobilize Immigrant Voters for 2026 Midterms

CHICAGO (WLS) — Community groups and elected officials gathered in Chicago’s Chinatown on Sunday to promote voter participation and help residents get ready for the upcoming midterm election.

With a little more than a week left before Election Day, volunteers and local leaders continued their voter outreach, providing information designed to help residents understand how and where to vote.

State Rep. Theresa Mah said the push to improve political representation for Chinatown residents has been underway for more than 10 years.

“More than 10 years ago, Chinatown, the population here was split into multiple districts and folks here didn’t really have a voice in terms of a bloc vote, and we’ve worked to change that. Ever since, we’ve worked to educate the public in terms of where to go and who’s running,” Mah said.

The Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community organized the Chinatown event to help voters prepare to cast their ballots. Volunteers went door to door and accompanied residents to a nearby early voting center, with particular attention to making the process more accessible for members of the immigrant community.

Grace Chan McKibben, executive director of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, said some residents may be reluctant to vote because of concerns about anti-immigrant hostility.

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“I think because there’s so much anxiety around them and so much hostility towards immigrants, people are worried, and we want to encourage people not to be afraid. It is their right to vote,” McKibben said.

11th Ward Ald. Nicole Lee also addressed the rally, underscoring the importance of taking part in the election.

Residents who attended the event pointed to several issues influencing their decision to vote. Simon Monroe said he wants to see leaders elected who represent Americans broadly.

“To me, right now it seems like there’s a lot of money that goes into all sorts of different things that can have more of an impact than people actually want, so I feel I agree with most people on most things, but it’s a big struggle to fight against the billionaires, pretty much,” Monroe said.