In an effort to increase political awareness and voter turnout as well as reduce the fears of first-time voters, the Massachusetts League of Women Voters held a voter-information session yesterday.

The event, held at the Harriet Tubman House, aimed to reach out to lower income neighborhoods that have a smaller voter turnout.

‘We’re trying to reach areas that the league hasn’t worked with before,’ said Risa Nyman, executive director of the league. She said despite low attendance at the event, she remains optimistic that such events will succeed in getting more people to the polls this November.

Bobby Curry, 40, was a prime example. After attending the event, he decided to register to vote.

‘I didn’t know about all the machines and computers they have to do this stuff,’ Curry said. ‘A lot of people don’t realize how easy they’ve made it to vote, or maybe they just don’t care enough.’

According to Nyman, the process of sparking interest in voting and educating the public is a slow but steady one. In Massachusetts, the last presidential election had only 56 percent turnout.

‘It’s a growing project,’ Nyman said, ‘but we hope that we’re showing the community that their vote is valuable.’

Dana Kemp, co-president of the league, said while general disinterest in politics may be one cause of low voter turnout, in certain neighborhoods, it may have something to do with cultural traditions.

‘A lot of people come from poorer countries where they can’t vote,’ she said. ‘It takes a lot of training for people who have never voted before to get them to realize it’s not so scary.’

‘Some people are hesitant to go because they don’t know what happens at the polls,’ Nyman added. ‘Rather than appear ignorant, they stay away.’

Members of the League of Women Voters created a set of videos that show voters the exact process of going to the polls and provide step-by step instructions for filling out a ballot. At a similar event in Chinatown last week, a group of non-English speaking voters watched the five-minute video several times in a row.

‘That shows how serious voting is to them,’ Nyman said.

‘I was so overwhelmed to see so much enthusiasm for the voting process which we as Americans tend to take for granted.’