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'Break that barrier' | Fort Bend County Hindu temple to serve as Election Day voting location

Volunteers said their goal is to make the Indian community more comfortable casting their ballots.

FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas — For the third consecutive presidential election, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Stafford will serve as a polling location.

The mandir, or Hindu temple, is encouraging registered voters in Fort Bend County to cast their ballots in the dining room hall on their campus located at 1150 Brand Lane. 

Mandir volunteer Viral Desai said voting can sometimes be daunting for his community, so he hopes they feel at ease voting on the temple grounds.

“Having the polling location here at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir definitely helps the Indian population, because it’s a familiar place for them, but also, what we’ve seen in the past is, people are uncomfortable to vote, because they don’t know where to go or how to do it or who to ask questions to,” Desai said. “Having this location, someone that can speak their language, kind of helps communicate that and break that barrier.”

Desai said he expects hundreds of people to turn out to vote at the mandir on Tuesday, Nov. 5 for election day. He also explained that having a polling site at such a familiar location will encourage others to join their friends and family.

“People that hang out, they can come in groups. I’m pretty sure my parents will come with their friends, say, ‘Hey I’m coming to this place, come with me to vote,’ and they’ll come together,” Desai said.

Fort Bend County resident Purav Patel said he has been coming to the mandir in Stafford for most of his life. That is why he wants to cast his ballot there on Election Day.

“For me to come and vote in some instances amongst a lot of the community that I see normally, it’s a feeling of home, and I feel more comfortable just coming out and voting here,” Patel said.

Fort Bend County has a sizeable Indian population and it only continues to grow. Many hope everyone eligible goes to the polls on Tuesday to make their voices heard.

“Go out there and vote, because every vote does matter and can make a difference,” Shrina Patel said.

The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and on Saturday they hosted a celebration for the Gujarati New Year. The mandir is one of several voting locations across Fort Bend County for election day.

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