Assisting Voters, Language Access, and the Role of Election Administrators

Abstract

While the federal government under the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA) Section 203 requires election jurisdictions to provide language assistance to voters, there is no financial support and not enough detailed information from the government to make this a success. Election jurisdictions must find the location of the voters through extensive outreach programs, mailings, and media efforts. This is a very costly undertaking and often still does not reach the voters who really need the assistance. If a jurisdiction does not meet the needs of their voters needing language assistance, they can be sued by the Department of Justice (DOJ). Community organizations and advocacy groups can be helpful in identifying voters who need assistance , but often they have their own agenda. Election officials want to assist voters for the right reason-so the voter can be an informed voter. But this can be difficult unless we have the information we need, the financial support , and without the constant fear of being sued.