VOTE Act Ties Federal Election Funds to English-Only Ballots, Seeks to End VRA Language Protections

A new bill called the 'Voting Only Through English Act,' or VOTE Act, proposes significant changes to how elections are run regarding language access. It aims to do two main things: first, prohibit states from receiving federal funds for election administration if they provide ballots in any language other than English (Section 2). Second, it seeks to eliminate existing provisions in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that currently prevent English-only elections in certain jurisdictions (Section 3).

Federal Funds vs. Language Access

The core financial stick in this bill is Section 2. It essentially tells states: if you want federal dollars to help run federal elections – think funds for poll workers, voting machines, or registration systems – you can only offer ballots in English. States currently providing materials in languages like Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, or others to comply with existing laws or serve their populations would face a choice: lose the federal funding or stop offering multilingual ballots. This could put significant financial pressure on state and local election administrators, potentially impacting overall election resources, especially in areas with diverse language needs. Imagine trying to navigate complex ballot questions or candidate information if your primary language isn't English – this bill could make that scenario more common by removing the resources or requirements for translated materials.

Rolling Back Voting Rights Act Protections

Section 3 targets specific parts of the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). Specifically, it removes paragraphs (1), (3), and (4) of Section 4(f). These are the provisions that, for decades, have required certain states and counties with significant populations of language minority citizens who are limited-English proficient to provide voting materials, including ballots, in languages other than English. By striking these sections, the VOTE Act effectively removes the federal mandate for language assistance in voting in those covered jurisdictions. This change directly impacts communities where language barriers are a known obstacle to civic participation, potentially disenfranchising eligible voters who rely on translated materials to understand their ballot and cast an informed vote.