Does the Voting Rights Act protect voters whose first language isn English?
• A: Yes. The Voting Rights Act makes it illegal to discriminate based on the language someone speaks. Groups of these people are called “language minorities.” The Voting Rights Act’s language minority provisions ensure that an inability to speak, write or read the English language won’t keep someone from political participation. It also prevents voting discrimination against people who are considered minorities because they speak a language other than English. • Many localities with people of Hispanic, Native American, and Alaskan Native heritage are included in the “preclearance” requirement. These localities must submit all their voting changes for preclearance just as other covered localities do • Covered localities must print ballots and other election materials in the minority language and English. Localities also may have to provide language translators where the need exists • The Act requires bilingual election procedures in a number of states and counties for voters who speak
