National groups are translating state voter ID laws into Spanish to help make sure Hispanic voters bring proper identification to the polls on Election Day. “There are so many voter ID laws they can be confusing because in every state they are different,” said Joanna Cuevas Ingram, associate counsel with Latino Justice PRLDEF (Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Educational Fund). “There’s a need for clarity. We believe every vote counts and every voter should have access to information regardless of the language they speak.’’ Latino Justice PRLDEF is teaming with the Brennan Center for Justice and Rock the Vote to translate into Spanish voter ID requirements and registration deadlines for all 50 states for the Nov. 8 elections. The groups plan to unveil the project later this summer.
Voting rights groups say such efforts are critical as state electorates become more diverse. They also note this will be the first presidential election to test new voter ID laws adopted by several states.
It’s also the first presidential contest since the Supreme Court eliminated a key provision of the Voting Rights Act in 2013. That provision had required states with a history of voting discrimination to get clearance from the Justice Department before making any changes to their election procedures.
Full Article: Groups making sure voting materials are available in Spanish.