Expanding the VOTE Act
Expanding the VOTE Act
Plain Language Summary
# Expanding the VOTE Act - Summary **What the bill does:** This bill would expand voting access for people with limited English proficiency by strengthening requirements under existing voting rights law. Currently, certain states and local areas must provide voting materials in languages other than English if they have significant populations of Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, or Alaska Natives. The bill would require the Department of Justice to formally notify states which areas must comply with these rules and clarify the specific population thresholds that trigger these requirements.
It would also mandate that covered areas provide written translations of all voting materials. **Who it affects:** The bill primarily affects voters with limited English proficiency in states and counties that meet the population thresholds for certain minority language groups. It would also impact state and local election officials in covered areas, who would need to ensure they're providing translated voting materials. The Department of Justice would take on additional responsibilities in issuing and monitoring compliance notices. **Current status:** The bill (S 2589) was introduced in the 119th Congress by Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been debated or voted on by the full Senate.
CRS Official Summary
Expanding the Voluntary Opportunities for Translations in Elections Act or the Expanding the VOTE ActThis bill expands access to voting materials for individuals with limited proficiency in the English language.Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) requires covered states and political subdivisions to provide voting materials and other language assistance to persons who are American Indian, Asian American, Alaskan Natives, or of Spanish heritage and whose ability to speak or understand English limits electoral participation. A state or political subdivision that is subject to Section 203 is prohibited from providing English-only voting materials in an election. Among other requirements, this bill (1) requires the Department of Justice to issue a notice of prohibition, including the trigger threshold at which the prohibition applies, to certain states and political subdivisions; and (2) requires covered states and political subdivisions to provide written translations of all voting materials, with the consent of any applicable tribal government, to election workers.Additionally, the bill requires the Election Assistance Commission to make incentive grants for states and political subdivisions to provide translated voting materials.The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office to study and report on the impact of (1) reducing the threshold requirement under Section 203 of the VRA, and (2) expanding the definition of language minorities to include native speakers of additional languages.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.