Twenty-four states across America go to the polls today in the Super Tuesday primaries, which could decide the Democratic and Republican Party nominees for the presidential elections 2008.

As voters set to cast their vote it may now be easier for some Indian American voters to have their voices heard.

For the first time ever in the 2008 US presidential elections residents of the state of New Jersey - which has a large Indian population - will have access to voter registration material in Gujarati.

Twenty-three-year-old Swati will be super busy as she is one of the many young South-Asian Americans who will be monitoring polling sites today to ensure that South-Asian voters are not discriminated against and disenfranchised.

"It is very important to come out and help our community to make sure our voice is heard. Just helping the voters feel comfortable. Maybe if there is any body that speaks Gujarati or Hindi may be I can help out," said Swati Mehta, Indian-American Volunteer Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund.

The incentive driving these youngsters is a recent report released by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), which says that Asian-Americans voters, especially those who do not speak English, faced discrimination during voting in the last election.

According to the report, in New York, in 2006, 83 per cent of Asian-American voters were asked to show identification causing many to feel intimidated.

English-speaking voters however were not asked for ID. Forty per cent of Pakistani origin, 38 per cent of Bangladeshi origin and 17 per cent of Indian origin voters could not speak English well and required the assistance of interpreters in order to vote.

Naturalization rates within the South Asian community are on the rise across the United States, but many of the first time voters do not speak fluent English.

Civil rights groups want to ensure that language is not a barrier to fulfilling their right as citizens to vote.

"No one is going to have to step in from outside to solve the problems of our community. We have to do it our selves if we want to advance," said Zaid Hydari, Pakistani-American Volunteer, AALDEF.

These efforts seem to be paying off. For the first time ever, in the elections 2008, voter registration forms will be available in Gujarati in New Jersey.

"Ballots are provided in many languages, Spanish, Chinese and Korean but not in any South Asian language. We have managed to get Bengali interpreters in Michigan and voter registration forms in Gujarati in Jersey but that is it. The South Asian community is much more diverse speaking Urdu, Punjabi etc and we need to look at whether they need interpreters to exercise their vote," said Glenn Magpantay, Staff Attorney, AALDEF.

While it is uncertain how many South Asians have registered to vote in the super Tuesday primaries, election watch dogs will be monitoring the presidential elections to make sure that those who do want to exercise their vote will be able to.