Outside of a polling site in Plano on a windy fall afternoon, Bollywood music echoed from a speaker on the sidewalk. North Texans walked towards the entrance of the Davis Public Library on the first week of early voting as the bouncing chorus of “Desi Girl” filled the air.

The Bollywood chart-topper announced the presence of South Asian Voter Empowerment, a progressive organizing group hosting a voter engagement event. Next to the parking lot, SAAVE poll greeters welcomed voters and haSettingsnded out sheets listing candidates down ballot.

A few feet away, a group of conservative poll greeters handed out their own voting guides to passing people. The two groups, dispersed along the walkway, reflect the partisan divide in Collin County — one of the nation’s bellwether counties, which is expected to represent larger statewide and national election outcomes.

Chanda Parbhoo, founder of South Asian American Voter Empowerment (SAAVE), coordinated several voter engagement events when early voting first began. She helped out as a poll greeter in front of Davis Public Library on Oct. 17, where a group of conservative poll greeters stood nearby.

The county’s Indian American population more than doubled from 2010 to 2019. The area reflects the growing number of South Asians — people with heritage from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka or the Maldives — in Dallas-Fort Worth that could make a decisive impact in the 2020 election.

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