Another election is approaching in the United States. On November 8, American citizens will head to the polls for the “mid-term elections,” where they will choose members for Congress, governors, and other local leaders.
If you immigrated to this country and became an American citizen, you can and should vote. However, this is a right that many immigrants end up not exercising because they do not speak English. According to the Census Bureau, about 8.3% of the population in the United States does not speak English “very well.” These Americans face greater challenges in participating in the electoral process.
However, there is an article, “Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA),” created in 1975, which aims to increase accessibility to voting for non-English speakers. In certain localities, Section 203 requires that all elections provide translated ballots and electoral information in other languages.
But which localities are these?
Section 203 must be applied in localities that meet two criteria:
• More than 10,000 or more than 5% of citizens of voting age in the state, county, or municipality must be “members of a minority group that speaks a single language” and have limited proficiency in English. For example, Hispanics with limited English proficiency make up 5.8% of California’s population. This means that all elections in the state must include ballots and electoral information in Spanish, even if an individual county or city does not meet this population threshold.
• The minority group that speaks another language must have lower literacy rates compared to the national average.
These two criteria are defined based on the Census. Hence the importance of citizens who speak other languages responding appropriately to the Census questions.
However, many localities end up being excluded from these criteria and are not required to implement Section 203. In total, 3 states (California, Florida, and Texas) and 194 counties in the country are required to offer ballots and electoral information in Spanish. Five other states (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin) have regions that are required to provide this benefit to non-English speakers.
But what if you are not in these regions?
These Americans have the option to bring an interpreter to the voting booth, such as a friend or family member. Some localities also provide additional support beyond what is required by the federal government. Starting this year, the multilingual ballot access bill for voters in Colorado increased the number of multilingual translators and interpreters for non-English speakers. In New York City, the Civic Engagement Commission offers language assistance in 11 additional languages at selected polling places.
In other words, stay informed and don’t forget to vote!