Many Spanish-Speaking Voters In RI To Get Assistance Under New Order

PAWTUCKET, RI — Spanish-speaking voters in Pawtucket will be given election assistance and materials in Spanish under an order filed in response to a voting rights lawsuit, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.

The order, a proposed consent decree with the city of Pawtucket and city election officials, would settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Civil Rights Division that alleges that Pawtucket failed to give voters with limited English proficiency assistance in other languages as outlined in the Voting Rights Act.

The lawsuit also alleges that Pawtucket and city election officials refused to allow individuals who were qualified to cast a provisional ballot to do so — and failed to train and instruct poll workers accurately and adequately regarding the requirements for provisional ballots — all in violation of Section 302 of the Help America Vote Act, officials said Thursday.

The proposed order, subject to approval by a special three-judge court in the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island, would ensure that all election-related information, including information displayed in polling places and online, will be given in both English and Spanish.

It will also mandate in-person language assistance at all early voting sites and at each election precinct with at least 100 Spanish-surnamed registered voters, and provide that the city will provide specific training for poll workers.

"The right to vote is the right on which all others depend," U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha said Thursday. "And this Office will remain vigilant in enforcing our civil rights laws to ensure that illegal barriers to access do not keep Americans from casting their ballots."

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division added that she believes "Language barriers should never prevent an eligible voter from being able to fully participate in the democratic process."

She concluded: "Providing bilingual materials and language assistance for those who are limited English proficient will ensure that these citizens have a meaningful opportunity to participate in our democracy. We will continue to confront any barriers that stand between voters and the ability to cast their vote."