Seeking to accommodate the growing Hmong population in Wisconsin, the State Elections Board has made voter registration forms and request forms for absentee ballots in Hmong this year.

According to Kyle Richmond, public information officer for the Elections Board, the board chose to make the forms available in Hmong following the 2002 passage of the Help America Vote Act. HAVA requires all states to reform their election procedures to receive federal funding.

Although HAVA does not require Wisconsin to supply the forms in Hmong, Richmond said, the board decided to provide the beneficial service since it was in the process of overhauling its voting system anyway. The changes, he added, will be beneficial to the growing Hmong population and specifically to those unable to read or write in English.

The 2000 U.S. Census found Wisconsin's Hmong population increased by 106 percent since 1990, compared to a 4.8 percent growth among Caucasians. Dane County's Hmong population increased by 298 percent during that same period, from 561 to 2,235, marking the largest increase for counties with more than 500 Hmong residents in 1990.

Though Richmond said he was pleased with the new changes, he expressed uncertainty over how much the new forms would be utilized.

"We haven't promoted this as much as I'd like," he said. "I'm not sure the Hmong communities are sure that these even exist."

Anna Williams, an election aide for the Madison City Clerk's office who handles voter registration forms on a daily basis, said she has not noticed much evidence that the new forms in Hmong are being used.

"I haven't seen any cross my desk," she said, "and I handle these forms all the time."

Kor Xiong, founder and president of Hmong Wisconsin Radio, said the election changes were not promoted enough in the Hmong community. He added, however, that Hmong people are turning out to vote in increasingly higher numbers and are becoming more and more involved with the political process.

"We do promote voting in a neutral way," said Xiong, whose station broadcasts in Hmong and Lao languages. "We urge people to go vote. We don't urge them to vote for one party or another; we just tell people how important it is to get out and vote."

Zie Ngnteesee, co-chair for the Hmong American Student Association at the University of Wisconsin, said he had not heard of the Elections Board's changes but was pleased by the decision to provide forms in Hmong.

Although HASA believes voting is an important tool, Ngnteesee pointed out the group's primary function is not political activism.

"We try to participate in voting, but we don't promote it," she said. "It is important, and I think we're doing a good job right now [in terms] of involvement, but it could be higher."

Regarding the gubernatorial election, Xiong said he attended a gathering of about 15 Hmong leaders from across the state, which was held last week in Appleton partly to discuss the gubernatorial candidates.

The Hmong leaders in attendance unanimously decided to support U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Wis., for governor due to what they said were failed pledges made by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle four years ago.

"Based on his record, Mark Green has been helping the Hmong community when he was working as a congressman," Xiong said.

Ngnteesee, however, said she thinks the majority of the Hmong community is Democratic, adding that as a college student, she supports Doyle because of his position on education.

The Elections Board also made the same forms that are available in Hmong available in Spanish. And Richmond said actual ballots in Hmong and Spanish may be created for future elections depending on how substantially Wisconsin's demographics change.