Providing ballot initiative petitions in the appropriate language will allow limited English proficient voters to become fully engaged in the democratic process.

Last week the California Assembly Elections Committee approved Senate Bill 1233 authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima). The bill would require the California Attorney General to issue a title and summary for circulation of all ballot initiatives and petitions in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, and Tagalog, which are all the languages covered by the Federal Voting Rights Act.

“Prior to signing a ballot initiative petition, voters should be fully informed. That is not possible if the petition is written in a language the voter does not speak or understand. Language appropriate ballot initiative petitions would empower voters with the information necessary to make an informed choice about signing a petition,” said Senator Alex Padilla.

According to California Newswire, the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 mandates that a state or political subdivision provide language assistance to voters if more than five percent of voting age citizens are members of a single-language minority group and do not “speak or understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral process.” Additionally, it protects the rights of Limited English Proficient (LEP) voters by providing language accessible election materials.

California Senate Bill 1233 now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for consideration.

Alex Dupont

See Also

• More about language translation
  Translation is the act of rewriting a document, changing it into another language. The original language is called the "source" language. The language into which the source text is translated is called the "target" language.
• Padilla Bill to Require Translation of Ballot Initiatives and Petitions Approved by Calif. Assembly Elections Committee
  Calif. Senate Bill 1233 authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) was approved by the Assembly Elections Committee today.
• More about California Senate Bill 1233
  Existing law requires the Attorney General, upon receipt of the text of a proposed initiative or referendum measure, to prepare a circulating title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure.
• More about the Voting Rights Act of 1965
  By 1965 concerted efforts to break the grip of state disfranchisement had been under way for some time, but had achieved only modest success overall and in some areas had proved almost entirely ineffectual.

Providing ballot initiative petitions in the appropriate language will allow limited English proficient voters to become fully engaged in the democratic process.

Last week the California Assembly Elections Committee approved Senate Bill 1233 authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima). The bill would require the California Attorney General to issue a title and summary for circulation of all ballot initiatives and petitions in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, and Tagalog, which are all the languages covered by the Federal Voting Rights Act.

“Prior to signing a ballot initiative petition, voters should be fully informed. That is not possible if the petition is written in a language the voter does not speak or understand. Language appropriate ballot initiative petitions would empower voters with the information necessary to make an informed choice about signing a petition,” said Senator Alex Padilla.

According to California Newswire, the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 mandates that a state or political subdivision provide language assistance to voters if more than five percent of voting age citizens are members of a single-language minority group and do not “speak or understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral process.” Additionally, it protects the rights of Limited English Proficient (LEP) voters by providing language accessible election materials.

California Senate Bill 1233 now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for consideration.

Alex Dupont

See Also

• More about language translation
  Translation is the act of rewriting a document, changing it into another language. The original language is called the "source" language. The language into which the source text is translated is called the "target" language.
• Padilla Bill to Require Translation of Ballot Initiatives and Petitions Approved by Calif. Assembly Elections Committee
  Calif. Senate Bill 1233 authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) was approved by the Assembly Elections Committee today.
• More about California Senate Bill 1233
  Existing law requires the Attorney General, upon receipt of the text of a proposed initiative or referendum measure, to prepare a circulating title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure.
• More about the Voting Rights Act of 1965
  By 1965 concerted efforts to break the grip of state disfranchisement had been under way for some time, but had achieved only modest success overall and in some areas had proved almost entirely ineffectual.