Philadelphia’s voters need materials in their own languages | Opinion

Passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 protected the fundamental rights of some non-native English-speaking communities to vote in their own languages. However, those protections only reach so far.

Crucial voting materials including voter registration forms, mail-in ballots, voting instructions, and election ballots on voting machines are not available to key Philadelphia communities in the languages they know best. Voters who do not have information in their native languages are less likely to vote, which effectively suppresses votes in communities where people are not proficient in English.

“Voters who do not have information in their native languages are less likely to vote, which effectively suppresses votes in communities where people are not proficient in English.”

Voting rules and deadlines can be difficult for English speakers to fully understand, let alone those who aren’t native English speakers. In Philadelphia County, the only language currently accommodated by the Voting Rights Act (based on population demographics) is Spanish and, just recently, the Department of Justice issued a mandate to accommodate Chinese. But All Voting is Local’s analysis of the most recent U.S. Census data finds that, in Philadelphia alone, up to 88,000 voters are of limited English proficiency and primarily speak additional languages, such as Russian, Vietnamese, and Arabic, and therefore face a major barrier to the ballot.

This problem effectively disenfranchises tens of thousands of city residents.

In 2019, Philadelphia invested millions to buy new voting machines, touted for their ability to accommodate at least 12 languages. Philadelphia’s mayor, City Council, and the City Commissioners must now work together to ensure additional resources are allocated to make good on this investment and fund official election materials in at least six additional languages beyond what is required by federal law.

While the new machines may be technically compatible with additional languages, our election officials face a logistical challenge to make all voting options and their required materials available in additional languages. City commissioners are already operating elections on a shoestring budget and deserve the basic funding to ensure all voters have access to the polls, regardless of the language they speak.

Philadelphia’s immigrant communities continue to grow at a faster rate than any other, signaling an urgent need for more equitable voting materials. For example, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) residents comprise Philadelphia’s fastest-growing community, increasing by 39% between 2010 and 2020.

Former Georgia legislator and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams credits much of her success in changing Georgia’s political landscape to grassroots outreach to burgeoning AAPI and immigrant communities that are often overlooked. In Philadelphia, a city that plays a pivotal role in both state and federal elections, our leaders must work together and invest in voting equity to ensure that voters in marginalized communities are fully engaged, have every opportunity to cast a ballot, and enjoy a smooth and welcoming voting experience. We know from recent coalition efforts with communities in Philadelphia that providing voters who struggle with English information and support in their native language significantly increases engagement and turnout. But our work can only reach so many voters in the languages they know best. Without official language access provisions for our elections, tens of thousands could remain unable to vote.

» READ MORE: After lawsuit and quick naturalizations, 2,200 Philly-area immigrants can vote in November

In other major cities, language access provisions for voters go well beyond the minimum federal requirements to accommodate numerous commonly spoken languages. Cook County, Ill., which includes Chicago, helped set the national standard in 2019 with the passage of the Voting Opportunity and Translation Equity (VOTE) Ordinance, which provides ballots and other voting materials in eight languages, in addition to the three mandated by federal law.

As the birthplace of American democracy, Philadelphia should strive to set the national standard for equity in ballot access to all eligible voters, especially those in marginalized and underserved communities. The time is overdue for Philadelphia to secure funding for our election officials and ensure that tens of thousands of potential voters are empowered to make their voices heard.

Al-Sharif Nassef is the Pennsylvania campaign manager at All Voting is Local. Andy Toy is the founder of United Voices for Philadelphia.