HB 1210

Abstract

Minority language accessibility; voting and election materials. Requires the State Board of Elections to prescribe, and a covered locality to provide, voting and election materials in languages other than English. A county, city, or town is designated by the State Board as a covered locality if the State Board determines, in consultation with the Director of the Census, based on the 2010 American Community Survey census data and subsequent American Community Survey data in five-year increments, or comparable census data, that (i) either (a) more than five percent of the citizens of voting age of such county, city, or town are members of a single language minority and are unable to speak or understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral process; (b) more than 10,000 of the citizens of voting age of such county, city, or town are members of a single language minority and are unable to speak or understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral process; or (c) in the case of a county, city, or town containing all or any part of an Indian reservation, more than five percent of the American Indian citizens of voting age within the Indian reservation are members of a single language minority and are unable to speak or understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral process and (ii) the illiteracy rate of the citizens of the language minority as a group is higher than the national illiteracy rate. The bill also allows the State Board to make available voting and election materials in any additional languages other than those required as it deems necessary and appropriate. The State Board may accept voting and election materials translated by volunteers but shall verify the accuracy of such translations prior to making the translated materials available to a county, city, or town, or any voter. The bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2021.

Minority language accessibility; voting and election materials. Requires the State Board of Elections to prescribe, and a covered locality to provide, voting and election materials in languages other than English. A county, city, or town is designated by the State Board as a covered locality if the State Board determines, in consultation with the Director of the Census, based on the 2010 American Community Survey census data and subsequent American Community Survey data in five-year increments, or comparable census data, that (i) either (a) more than five percent of the citizens of voting age of such county, city, or town are members of a single language minority and are unable to speak or understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral process; (b) more than 10,000 of the citizens of voting age of such county, city, or town are members of a single language minority and are unable to speak or understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral process; or (c) in the case of a county, city, or town containing all or any part of an Indian reservation, more than five percent of the American Indian citizens of voting age within the Indian reservation are members of a single language minority and are unable to speak or understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral process and (ii) the illiteracy rate of the citizens of the language minority as a group is higher than the national illiteracy rate. The bill also allows the State Board to make available voting and election materials in any additional languages other than those required as it deems necessary and appropriate. The State Board may accept voting and election materials translated by volunteers but shall verify the accuracy of such translations prior to making the translated materials available to a county, city, or town, or any voter. The bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2021.

Minority language accessibility; voting and electionmaterials. Requires the State Board of Elections to prescribe, and acovered locality to provide, voting and election materials in languages other thanEnglish. A county, city, or town is designated by the State Board as a coveredlocality if the State Board determines, in consultation with the Director ofthe Census, based on the 2010 American Community Survey census data andsubsequent American Community Survey data in five-year increments, orcomparable census data, that (i) either (a) more than five percent of thecitizens of voting age of such county, city, or town are members of a singlelanguage minority and are unable to speak or understand English adequatelyenough to participate in the electoral process; (b) more than 10,000 of thecitizens of voting age of such county, city, or town are members of a singlelanguage minority and are unable to speak or understand English adequatelyenough to participate in the electoral process; or (c) in the case of a county,city, or town containing all or any part of an Indian reservation, more thanfive percent of the American Indian citizens of voting age within the Indianreservation are members of a single language minority and are unable to speakor understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral processand (ii) the illiteracy rate of the citizens of the language minority as agroup is higher than the national illiteracy rate. The bill also allows theState Board to make available voting and election materials in any additionallanguages other than those required as it deems necessary and appropriate. TheState Board may accept voting and election materials translated by volunteers butshall verify the accuracy of such translations prior to making the translatedmaterials available to a county, city, or town, or any voter.